F1 News
Williams says goodbye to reserve driver Jack Aitken
- GPblog.com
Jack Aitken is likely to join the group of drivers who have driven 'only' one Grand Prix in their careers. The Briton - who replaced George Russell at Williams in the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix - has left his role at Williams.
Indeed, Aitken is no longer attached to a Formula 1 team. Before the start of the 24 Hours of Daytona, he revealed that his contract with Williams has not been renewed. This allows Aitken to fully focus on a career in endurance racing, reports Motorsport.
Hamilton with Covid
For three years, Aitken was Williams' reserve and test driver. When Lewis Hamilton was unable to compete in the 2020 Bahrain race due to a Covid infection, Russell moved on to Mercedes for one Grand Prix. Russell's replacement was Aitken. He finished the Grand Prix in 16th place after sustaining damage to his car in a crash into the wall in the closing stages of the race.
Aitken is now giving up on his F1 dream: "It’s a great thing to chase, and I had a great time doing it," said Aitken. "I was one of the lucky few not just to start a race but just to drive the cars. Of course that wasn’t what I was there for, I was there to try and be on the grid full-time and become champion, but for whatever reason, with the way my single-seater career went, it didn’t work out, and that’s fine."