Sergey Sirotkin

Sergey Olegovich Sirotkin (27 August 1995 - Present): Russian racing driver who competed in 21 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix for Williams Racing in 2018, becoming the last Russian driver to compete in Formula One before Russia's invasion of Ukraine led to the exclusion of Russian drivers from international motorsport. Born in Moscow, Russia, Sirotkin progressed through karting and European junior formulae with backing from Russian sponsors including SMP Racing and Russian Time. He won the 2014 Auto GP championship and competed in GP2 (later Formula 2), achieving race wins and demonstrating potential without winning the championship. After serving as a test and reserve driver for Renault, Sirotkin secured a race seat with Williams for 2018, replacing Felipe Massa alongside Lance Stroll.

The decision to select the 22-year-old Sirotkin over Robert Kubica, who was attempting a remarkable comeback after his 2011 rally accident, proved controversial. Williams justified their choice based on testing data, though financial considerations from Sirotkin's Russian backing likely influenced the decision. The 2018 season proved disastrous for Williams. The FW41 car was the slowest on the grid by a significant margin, regularly qualifying and finishing last.

Through no fault of either driver, Williams scored just seven points all season—their worst performance in decades. Sirotkin's best result came with 11th place finishes on three occasions; his only points came from tenth place at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, scoring Williams' final point of the season. Throughout 2018, Sirotkin was the only Russian driver on the Formula One grid, with Daniil Kvyat serving as a Ferrari development driver. While Sirotkin generally matched or slightly outperformed teammate Stroll in qualifying, neither driver could overcome the FW41's fundamental lack of competitiveness.

At season's end, SMP Racing withdrew Sirotkin's sponsorship due to performance concerns about the FW41 and Williams' inability to develop the car. Williams replaced Sirotkin with George Russell and Robert Kubica for 2019, ending his Formula One racing career after a single season. Sirotkin returned to motorsport as a reserve driver for Renault and McLaren in 2019, remaining with Renault through 2020 before his departure. He competed in various racing series including the World Endurance Championship.

In 2024, Sirotkin announced his retirement from professional racing, marking the end of an unfulfilled career that suffered from unfortunate timing—joining Formula One with arguably the sport's worst team at their lowest point. His single season provided insufficient opportunity to demonstrate his true abilities. Known for: Racing for Williams in the disastrous 2018 season with the FW41, being selected over Robert Kubica's comeback attempt, scoring one championship point at the 2018 Italian Grand Prix, being the last Russian driver to compete in Formula One, and retiring from racing in 2024.