Ex-Williamsꦍ Formula 1 driver Sergey Sirotkin will drive for SMP Racing in the World Endurance Championship for the remainder of the 2018/19 campaign. 

The Russian, who lost his Williams seat a꧃t the end of 2018, will pilot SMP's #17 car alongside team regulars Egor Orudzhev and Stephane Sarrazin for the remaining rounds at Sebring, Spa-Francorchamps and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

“I am very glad that I have the honour of defending the col🔴ours of the Russian flag on the Russian prototype 💞as part of the Russian SMP Racing team in the World Endurance Championship," said Sirotkin.

"We have outstanding line-ups and excellent ജcars, with which, I am sure, we will be able to fight for the win, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

It comes after Sirotkin's long-term backers SMP Racing opted to pull out of its deal with Williams following a torrid F1 campaign in which the British squad finished bottom of the constructors' championship, with the team announcing🦹 an all-new 𒀰driver line-up for 2019 consisting of Formula 2 champion George Russell and the returning Robert Kubica. 

Sirotkin had hoped to retain his Williams seat for the upcoming season after what proved to be a difficult rookie year, in which he managed just a single point, inherited at the Italian 🌳Grand Prix following Romain Gro☂sjean's disqualification. 

The 23-year-old recently conducted FIA Formula E testing in the Marrakesh rookie test with Mahindra as hꩵe evaluated his next cඣareer step.