GP3 champion Lynn joins Williams as development driver

Williams have announced reigning GP3 Series champion Alex Lynn as their development driver for the 2015 season.

In this role, Lynn, 21, will undertake simulator duties to help with the development of Williams’ new Mercedes-powered FW37 and to assist the Grove team’s race engineers in setting up the car for each Grand Prix.

The British racer, who drove for Lotus in last year's Abu Dhabi test, will also be behind the wheel of the FW37 for a full day of testing following the Formula 1 Gran Premio de Espana 2015 at Barcelona in May.

“I am extremely excited to be joining Williams, a team with such incredible history and amazing potential,” commented Lynn, who will dovetail his Williams role with a full campaign in GP2 with the championship-winning DAMS team in 2015.

“Over the past year the team has made huge strides forward and it’s clear to see their determination to fight for more success in the future. I hope that with a strong year in GP2, while also helping to develop the F1 car throughout this season, I can follow in the footsteps of Valtteri Bottas who joined the Williams team in exactly the same development driver role.

“Through hard work and determination, he has gone from winning the GP3 title to earning his place as a Williams F1 race driver. Working with people like Sir Frank Williams and Pat Symonds is an incredible opportunity for me. There is so much experience here at Williams and I hope to be able to use the knowledge gained from these people to further develop my skills as a racing driver and respected member of this team.

“Everyone has been incredibly welcoming from the outset, we have hit the ground running and I am very excited about the challenges this role offers - particularly my on track activities driving the FW37 in a few months time.”

Speaking about Lynn’s arrival, deputy team principal Claire Williams said: “Williams has a strong track record in bringing young talent though the ranks and our development driver position is designed to fully immerse new recruits into the inner workings of a Formula One team.

“As a British team we are always on the lookout for emerging home-grown talent and Alex has caught our eye with his impressive performances in GP3. He has been chosen on merit and we are confident that alongside Felipe (Massa), Valtteri and Susie (Wolff), Alex will help play an important role in making sure that the FW37 shows continuous improvement over the course of the 2015 season.”