You can be fast and you can be talented, but at the end of the day- money talks in F1. One driver who knows this all too well is Sergey Sirotkin. The Russian signed with Williams for 2018, after spending close to half a decade as a development driver.

Sirotkin ‘s F1 career

For Sergey Sirotkin, his big break had finally come. But, little did he realize the childhood dream would last a mere 9 months. Williams dropped Sirotkin for 2019, preferring Robert Kubica instead. Furthermore, Williams defended Kubica’s signing by claiming the Pole was knowledgeable and aided in car development.

For Sirotkin- this was the worst-case scenario. Despite extracting maximum performance from the worst car on the grid, it ultimately came down to a battle of sponsorship money. A battle which a Polish oil refiner won. After 6 years, Sergey Sirotkin was back to being a test driver again. His F1 career, all but done and dusted.

Trending

Daniel Ricciardo To Be Replaced by Liam Lawson After Miami, F1 Pundit Dishes Out Harsh Verdict After Australian’s “Amateur Mistake”

April 17, 2024 11:14 AM EDT

Adrian Newey Hits Out at Climate Activist Lewis Hamilton’s Fuel Protest, Desperate to See V10 Engines Again

April 15, 2024 12:35 PM EDT

Who are Zhou Guanyu’s Parents? Everything We Know About The Chinese Driver’s Family

April 16, 2024 02:07 PM EDT

“I Was Quite Depressed”: Adrian Newey Makes Brutal Revelation as He Reveals Red Bull Heavily “Struggling”

April 15, 2024 02:38 PM EDT

New Pet Parent Charles Leclerc Reveals Leo Duty Split With GF Alexandra Saint Mleux

April 18, 2024 03:55 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest F1 stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

During his tenure at Williams, Sirotkin managed to score a single point at the Italian Grand Prix. A commendable achievement, considering the circumstances.

Speaking to Autosport, Sirotkin opened up on life after Formula One.

“I’d say it’s become maybe even more painful,”

“Because at that point, of course, Williams wasn’t the most competitive, I knew that for the next year the situation probably wouldn’t change dramatically.

“[We thought] that having this gap year we’d maybe have the chance to find a better option than trying to fight Robert for that seat.

The harsh reality of Formula One

“But now, having harbored some rather high hopes, high expectations, and even having had some initial agreements [in my first year in F1], and in the end, you didn’t achieve your target – having then lost a further year, you realize that to make it [back to the grid] for the following year will be even tougher.

“In the beginning, I thought it would be [harder]. I thought, when you’re watching it from Moscow, you’ve already forgotten a bit what Formula 1 is like, you’ve distracted yourself and it’s all okay.

“And then you’re back in the paddock, everything is familiar, you’re involved, but you don’t have a car, you’re not doing much, you’re still watching the races on TV or on the computer, and at some point, I thought this may be harder to accept.” said Sirotkin.

Sirotkin currently operates as a reserve driver for McLaren and Renault. The Russian is often seen at the paddock, albeit with gloves and helmet off.

Robert Kubica, who returned to F1 after 8 years had a disappointing campaign. The Pole managed to score a single point at the German Grand Prix by virtue of Alfa Romeo being penalized. Ultimately, Williams dropped Kubica for 2020.

There are countless examples of talented drivers not being able to survive in F1. Simply being fast isn’t enough these days and is a sad reality of the sport we love.