Williams confirms no driver announcement until post-season

Williams will make no announcement regarding its final driver line-up for 2020 until the end of the current season, deputy team chief Claire Williams has confirmed.

Following Robert Kubica’s decision to quit the team following the 2019 season, Williams has been considering its options for the second seat alongside George Russell, who remains on a multi-year deal.

Formula 2 title contender Nicholas Latifi is widely expected to take up the seat, having spent this year working in a development role at Williams in a deal that has included a number of Formula 1 practice appearances.

Latifi featured in FP1 in both Mexico and the United States, and is set to do so again in Brazil next week ahead of his final F2 appearance in Abu Dhabi.

But Claire Williams said it was not a firm indication of the team’s plans for next year, which would only be confirmed following the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 1.

“The plan was always to have Nicholas Latifi in the car for these practice sessions that you’re seeing him in, in the next couple of races and in Mexico as well,” Williams said in Austin last weekend.

“It’s no clear indication. We’ve made it very clear that we won’t be making our driver announcement for that second seat for 2020 until after Abu Dhabi this year.”

Latifi currently sits second in the standings with one round remaining, 10 points clear of Luca Ghiotto in second place, putting him on course to gain the Super License points required to race in F1 next year.