Canadian teenager Lance Stroll will race for Williams during the 2017 Formula One season, while Valtteri Bottas has been confirmed as his team-mate.
The 18-year-old will become the second-youngest driver in F1 history when he make his race debut in Australia next year, and his signing comes following his emphatic victory in this season’s European Formula 3 Championship.
Stroll will succeed Felipe Massa in the Williams hot-seat, after the Brazilian confirmed earlier this year that he would be retiring from the sport at the end of the season.
Williams’ team-principal Claire Williams admits the team are delighted to welcome Stroll to their ranks, and she is convinced the the Quebec native can be a huge success in the sport.
“We made this decision a long time ago and it’s one we are really, really excited about,” Williams said. “He is so capable, he’s extremely intelligent and he puts the work in.
To achieve what he has achieved in such a short space of time, I have total confidence he will get in the car and deliver.”
Finnish driver Bottas has been with the Grove based outfit since 2012, securing nine podium finishes during that time, but he had been linked with a move away from the team in recent months.
The 27-year-old has now ended that speculation by signing a new deal with Williams, and he believes that he still has a lot to offer the British team.
“I am very happy about it and the team’s continuing trust on me and my ability. I feel we still have a lot to achieve together, we haven’t yet achieved what we could,” Bottas said.
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