ABU DHABI, Nov 28 — Canadian Nicholas Latifi will make his Formula One debut next season replacing Robert Kubica at Williams, the Grove based squad said today.

The 24-year-old, who is racing in the Formula Two feeder series this year and is second in the standings with two races to go in Abu Dhabi this weekend, is already the team’s reserve driver and has driven in a number of tests and six practice sessions for them this season.

His appointment alongside Mercedes-backed Briton George Russell, who made his debut this season, comes as no surprise and fills the last vacant spot on the 2020 grid.

Kubica, who returned to Formula One this season after a near-fatal rally crash in 2011, announced his departure from Williams in September this year. — Reuters