Sergey Sirotkin says he’s sympathetic towards Williams after its ongoing troubles at the star𒁏t of the 2019 season despite splitting from the team ♎at the end of last year.

The Russian driver was axed from the team’s driver line-up at the end of the 2018 season, leavin🍸g him without a spot on this year’s Formula 1 grid, with the British squad opting for an all-new pairing of Rober𒈔t Kubica and George Russell.

Sirotk✤in, who has returned to Renault as a development driver this year to dovetail his 2019 efforts with SMP Racing in the World Endurance Championship, says he only feels sympathy towards Williams following its torrid pre-season preparations despite being dropped by the team less than four months ago.

Williams had to cancel a shakedown run and miss the first two-and-a-hal𒊎f days of pre-season testing at Circuit de Catalunya due to delays on completing itꦑs 2019 F1 car.

Trouble has deepened at the Grove-based team in recent days with technical chief Pa🌜ddy Lowe taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team while hasty rede✱signs have been rumoured as꧅ its current car doesn’t match the technical regulations.

“I feel quite sorry to comment about Williams because we all know that the team is in a very difficult position but at the same time I have so many great friends there, so many people,” Sirotꦐkin said during the second pre-seౠason test of Barcelona.

“I know that we spent only one season together but it’s a very,⛦ very long year and we spent so many days together at the factory, together at race tracks, all day long working together in such a difficult situation that it really feels like I’ve been there forever. I really feel sorry for them.”

Sirotkin also feels the team’s development work on its FW42 car will be hꦦidden by it🦄s recent problems having witnessed its efforts preparing for 2019 over the course of the second half of last season.

“I know how much work was put in altogether to development. I feel really sorry because of certain difficu𒐪ltie🥂s we don’t see the result in terms of performance,” he said.

“I don’t want to comment too much 🅰but as I know the people there and I know what they deserve I just want to really wish them all the best and really hope they will get what they really deserve.”