Watch out Lewis Hamilton: Williams confirms British signing in Oliver Rowland

British driver Oliver Rowland has been confirmed as Williams Martini Racing's official young driver, bringing the racing star ever closer to his Formula 1 dreams. The 25-year-old will compete in the World Endurance Championship for the F1 brand, as well as taking on the official F1 young driver test in Spain in May.

Rowland, who is sponsored by Tempus, spent 2017 as a development driver at Renault and finished third place in the F2 Championship. The promising young driver has also worked with McLaren and Red Bull.

"I am immensely proud to be joining Williams Martini Racing as their Official Young Driver. It's a fantastic opportunity for me and I will be working as hard as I possibly can to help them develop the car this season," Rowland said. "Williams is a British team with a fantastic heritage and history, which has made it one of the most respected teams in the sport." >>

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He added: "It's always been my ambition to get a role in Formula 1, and I'm very excited to be doing that with Williams. They have always given young drivers the opportunity to progress so it's now up to me to make a good impression and further my development as a driver."

Last season Rowland claimed 10 podiums positions, celebrating wins in Monaco and Hungary, now as part of his work with Williams, he will assist with simulator work to refine the team's FW41 car. Fans – and Rowland – hope this will lead to a full time position in the F1, which would mean superstar Lewis Hamilton was no longer the only driver flying the flag for Britain.

"I am pleased we have secured the services of Oliver, who is a talented and highly regarded young driver," Williams' deputy team principal Claire Williams said. "He has raced at many F1 circuits, and his experience and knowledge will complement the team's ongoing engineering work. His addition to Williams will further strengthen the team."