Formula 2 race winner Oliver Rowland has joined Williams as the young test driver for the 2018 season alongside reserve and development driver Robert Kubica.
Though older than both race drivers, Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin, the Briton joins to fulfil criteria that all teams must run drivers with no more than two Grands Prix of experience for at least two of the in-season test days.
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Also part of the Renault development program, Rowland’s success in F2 and status as a former Formula Renault 3.5 champion means he comfortably meets the stricter superlicence system which awards points based on results in other series.
“I am immensely proud to be joining Williams as its official young driver,” the Briton said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for me and I will be working as hard as I possibly can to help them develop the car this season.”
His focus will be on simulator work but could well hit the track in Barcelona during the eight days of pre-season running before later appearances in-season with tests planned again in Spain in May and in Hungary in August.
