Sergey Sirotkin raised eyebrows when he was confirmed as a Sauber driver, joining the team in a development role initially with a confirmed race seat for the 2014 season. However, he did not get in the car that year, and eventually the contract fell through when the Russian backing behind Sirotkin disappeared.

F1 biography

Sergey began his career just as so many drivers do by participating in karting championships and making something of a name for himself. With little Russian motor racing to compete in, he turned his attention to Europe and participated in a new Formula Abarth series in Italy. He won the championship at his second attempt, and moved to Formula Three. Formula Renault 3.5 was next, and then Formula One came calling.

Sirotkin was confirmed as a Sauber reserve driver midway through the 2013 season, after the team signed a deal with Russian investors that came part and parcel with a driver. Sergey was due to work towards getting his super licence so that he could then join the team as a full race driver in 2014.

That plan fell through, but Sirotkin remained associated with the Sauber team, and he made his F1 practice debut towards the end of 2014. With the first ever Russian Grand Prix, Sirotkin was granted a Friday practice session at the brand new Sochi circuit with Sauber, finishing 17th overall. Sirotkin left Sauber when his contract fell through, and for 2015 he joined the feeder series GP2.

In 2016, Sirotkin was signed as a test driver for the returning Renault works team, and he continued with his GP2 campaign this time for the ART team.