Nissany to get pre-season running in continued Williams F1 test role for 2021

Roy Nissany will drive for Williams during Formula 1 pre-season testing, with the team announcing he will continue his role as official test driver in 2021.

Having taken part in free practice outings in Spain, Italy and Bahrain, as well as appearing in the Abu Dhabi post-season test in his first year with Williams, Nissany will drive one of its three days of testing ahead of the upcoming 2021 season.

This year’s pre-season testing schedule has been cutback to three days for cost-saving reasons, with the test taking place on 12-14 March in Bahrain, two weeks before the season-opening race in Sakhir.

Nissany will once again take part in three FP1 sessions across 2021, as well as undertaking what Williams has described as an “increased simulator programme” back at the team’s Grove factory.

The 26-year-old Isreali driver finished 19th in last year’s FIA Formula 2 standings, scoring five points across the season and managing a best result of eighth place in the Spa-Francorchamps sprint race.

“I am truly honoured to continue being part of Williams,” Nissany said.

“Since we started, we have made huge progress across many areas - on top of the great FP1's, we had a lot of productive work behind the scenes.

“While dedicating as much as I can to the team, I enhanced my skills and my capabilities as a driver. I am very keen to continue this form in 2021.”

It has not yet been confirmed whether Nissany will continue in F2 for a third season.

Williams team principal Simon Roberts said: “As a team, we were very happy with the contributions Roy made both through his work on-track and in the simulator at Grove, which all aided the lap time gains we were able to make with the FW43.

“We also enjoyed seeing Roy grow as a driver, and we have no doubt that he will continue to go from strength-to-strength this year.”