Sirotkin looking forward to added pressure of F1

Sergey Sirotkin is looking forward to facing a new challenge this year in the form of  Formula 1. The Russian will make his debut in the series this weekend at Melbourne, as the Australian Grand Prix kicks off the 2018 season.

Williams signed up Sirotkin in January after facing a choice between the former GP2 racer and a resurging Robert Kubica. Sirotkin arrives at Williams with major backing from SMP Racing and an engineering degree, with technical boss Paddy Lowe saying: "He understands technical things very quickly so [he is] a very clever guy."

With just a matter of days before Sirotkin makes his debut as a full-time driver, the 22-year-old is feeling positive: "It’s the Australian Grand Prix – it’s my first race in Formula One, my first race with Williams, and my first race in Australia. It’s very exciting and I’m really looking forward to getting there, to start work and to get closer to the lights going out.

"Looking back at my career, I have always been a racing guy and I’ve always liked the competition, pushing the limits of myself as well as the limits of others. To win in this environment is the biggest dream you can imagine, so I’m really looking forward to this challenge, to put more pressure on myself and to deliver. It’s going to be interesting!"