Sirotkin shows off new helmet ahead of debut season

Sergey Sirotkin has offered a glimpse of his new helmet for the 2018 season. The Russian driver will make his F1 debut in Melbourne next month after he was chosen by Williams as Felipe Massa's replacement.

Sirotkin becomes just the third Russian to race in F1, after Vitaly Petrov and Daniil Kvyat. In 2015 and 2016, he finished third in the GP2 standings. Last year, he took on the role as Renault's reserve driver, and drove the car in four FP1 sessions.

Now he heads into his first season, declaring that preparations have been going well: "I feel really excited ahead of the season," he said at the launch of the FW41. "I’ve spent a lot of time at the factory, I’m almost living there at the moment which has been great motivation for me and for all of the people around the factory. It’s been a big enjoyment to start working properly with all the mechanics and engineers, and it’s going well.

"I’ve been training hard and I’ve been in the simulator regularly, going through different set-ups with the car, different tracks, seat fittings and also a lot of engineering meetings and factory tours to meet everyone. I’ve been having fun with all the guys from different departments. It’s busy times, but I am really enjoying it. I’m getting ready for the season in the best possible way."

Sirotkin's boots and helmet for 2018