MOTORSPORT NEWS - Williams defended their young and inexperienced Formula One drivers on Thursday, denying that the choice of Russian Sergey Sirotkin and Canadian teenager Lance Stroll had been swayed by money.
The combination of 22-year-old debutant Sirotkin and Stroll, 19, is the former world champions' youngest and rawest line-up yet.
Stroll, who stood on the podium as a rookie in Baku last season, is the son of a billionaire while Sirotkin has been backed through the junior series by Russian oligarch Boris Rotenberg.
"We would only put talented drivers in our car," deputy team principal Claire Williams told reporters when questioned at a team launch.
"This is a dangerous business and we're not going to put someone in a car just because they come with money.
"Our decision-making process is so much more complex than just deciding to put a driver into the race seat because they have some cash," she added.
"Yes, we are an independent team and yes, sponsorship is really difficult to come by these days... so clearly if a driver has some financial backing then that is an added bonus, but it's not the foundation for a decision-making process at Williams."
The family-owned team, founded by Frank Williams, have to pay for their Mercedes engines and compete against manufacturers with far bigger budgets.
