Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams says the Grove-based outfit’s new driver line-up for the 2017 Formula 1 season puts it in a “strong position”.
The team confirmed Valtteri Bottas and 18-year-old rookie Lance Stroll as its driver pairing, following Felipe Massa’s retirement announcement earlier this year.
Bottas remains at Williams for a fifth season, while Stroll moves up to a race seat after a year as a development driver at the team while taking the European Formula 3 title.
“I’m delighted to confirm that Valtteri will be racing for Williams once again next year, and be joined by Lance Stroll,” Claire Williams said.
“Valtteri is a much-loved member of the team and his talent is unquestionable, so for him to use that experience to help lead the team forward is exciting.
“He has played a pivotal role in the team’s turnaround since 2014 and we are looking forward to continuing the strong relationship we have with him into the future.
“Lance joined the Williams Young Driver Programme at the end of 2015 and has impressed our engineers with his maturity, talent and enthusiasm.
“We are pleased to be able to offer him the opportunity to step up and show what he can do in Formula 1, after proving a dominant force in all the categories he has raced in so far.
“He is still young, and we looking forward to seeing him develop as a driver. Williams has a great record of introducing young drivers to F1, who have achieved great results, and we hope this will be the start of a long successful career for Lance as well.
“As a team, we continue to push forward in our goal to win races and championships, and believe this exciting fresh combination will put us in a strong position to deliver on our future targets.”
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