Why F1's under-fire rookie is already causing surprises

There was widespread disappointment when it became clear Sergey Sirotkin would get the final seat at Williams for the 2018 Formula 1 campaign, largely because it meant Robert Kubica would not make a sensational race return.

Many felt Williams was becoming a team that needed to take pay drivers to survive again. Siroktin's backers are bringing around £15million to the team while Lance Stroll's billionaire father Lawrence facilitates further funding. But Williams has been insistent that it has settled on its 2018 line-up based purely on performance.

Stroll was already on the books for 2018, but the other seat was up for grabs once Felipe Massa retired. Kubica was Williams's number one target while then-reserve driver Paul di Resta was also in the frame.

Sirotkin wasn't even on the radar initially, but he popped into contention just before the post-Abu Dhabi Grand Prix test. When he did enter the fray, it was without a financial package on the table.

Sirotkin's track record is solid if not spectacular - third in GP2 in 2015 and '16 is reasonable. But what he does have in his corner is a strong list of references that he can call upon.

Of those, Renault is the most notable. During his year as development driver, team insiders suggested he was quick while his technical feedback and application was strong. At the Abu Dhabi Pirelli tyre test, when Williams took the data gathered from Kubica and Sirotkin, the latter proved he was quicker across short and long runs.

What particularly impressed and surprised Williams was his ability to get the job done at Yas Marina, despite very little preparation and the pressure that comes with having a race drive within his grasp. There were no mistakes, despite his relative inexperience, and he was consistently quick throughout the day.

He missed out on doing his soft tyre run because of an issue, but when the team said they could tweak the programme to allow him to do it later in the session, he declined the opportunity.

Sirotkin wasn't desperate to prove he had pace on the soft tyre, despite what was on the line. Instead, he let the rest of his performance and commitment do the talking - and that proved to have a profound effect on the team.

It took some time for those within Williams to change their mindset. The prospect of a high-level driver, who had been tipped as a future world champion before he suffered life-threatening injuries in a rally crash, in the form of Kubica was a tantalising prospect and really galvanised the workforce after a tough couple of years on track.

So when it became clear he wasn't the right driver and the relatively unproven Sirotkin came into the frame, the initial feeling was of disappointment. But it hasn't taken long for him to change their minds.

It is believed Sirotkin's work ethic is second to none. From the moment his race seat was announced, Sirotkin has been in the factory every working day, getting to know the team and preparing for his rookie season. He has been in the simulator regularly, attended every engineering briefing he can, worked on different car set-ups and spent time around each department getting to know everyone. It's a proper charm offensive - and one that appears to be paying dividends.

"He comes from the SMP programme - it covers Russia, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. They have 1500 drivers on their books. It's much bigger than what Red Bull runs" Paddy Lowe on Sirotkin's backing

He even decided to get himself a place in the UK so that he could be closer to the factory. The team suggested big towns in the vicinity where there was a bit going on, but Sirotkin chose a little market town just 20 minutes away from Williams HQ to make the commute easier as he planned for the days to be long.

Sirotkin has no shame in admitting he brings financial backing with him. A product of the SMP young driver programme established by Russian oligarch Boris Rotenberg, Sirotkin has made the most of opportunities afforded to him.

When it became clear money was required, SMP stumped up the cash. It then doubled it when Sirotkin was in a tight race with Kubica. SMP wants to prove that its programme works. It also wants the driver that comes out of it to impress.

It is believed Siroktin meets that criteria, so they are willing to stump up the money to help him achieve that final step - a boost so many drivers on the grid have had to call on - to reach F1 and become the first driver in that programme to achieve the feat.

"I can tell you a story about the selection process," says chief technical officer Paddy Lowe. "It was the most exhaustive I have been involved in. It did not involve finances. The call was made based on the data.

"Sergey had a fantastic apprenticeship to get to where he is. He comes out of the SMP programme and if you look at the scale of it, it covers Russia, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. They have 1500 drivers on their books.

"It is much bigger than what Red Bull runs. Sergey is the prime and first graduate to get to F1. He has done his full apprenticeship, he couldn't be in better shape to hit the ground running."

The proof will be in the way Sirotkin performs and handles himself across 2018. His primary focus will be to prove to Williams that he deserves the seat and is worthy of his deal

Sirotkin also has no plans to just make up the numbers. "I have big expectations for the season," he says. "I've been training hard and I've been in the simulator regularly. I'm having fun with all the guys from different departments. It's a busy time but I'm focused on getting ready for the season in the best possible way."

His ultimate potential remains unclear, but the more time mechanics, engineers and technical staff spend with him, the more they have been impressed and pleasantly surprised by the Russian.

His professional approach to the job has been refreshing, his feedback impressive given his inexperience, and the potential he is displaying across all areas has generated real hope.

"Sergey has an impeccable track record," says deputy team principal Claire Williams. "Renault thought he had talent to be their reserve driver. He did a phenomenal job for us at the Abu Dhabi test.

"Probably Sergey is one of those drivers you haven't heard of as much as maybe some other new talents who come into the sport, for whatever reason that may be. But I think he's going to surprise a lot of people this year. His technical capability, combined with his track efficiency, is really impressive."

There is renewed hope for the season and a greater confidence in Sirotkin being able to push the boundaries of what will be the first car that has had significant input from Lowe since he joined Williams at the start of last year.

Having said all that, the proof will be in the way Sirotkin performs and handles himself across the season. His primary focus will be to prove to Williams that he deserves the seat and is worthy of completing his multi-year deal.

To do that, he'll need to hit the ground running, utilising the relationships he is building with his team to get settled into the outfit quickly and get to grips with the new car. He also needs to consistently beat Stroll over the course of the year.

So far, he's doing everything right. If he continues to do so, the critics could find themselves pleasantly surprised.