F1: Stroll being unfairly judged - Williams

Claire Williams wants more respect for her team handing Lance Stroll a race seat and believes the Canadian is being unfairly judged before he has raced in Formula 1.

The 18-year-old will make his F1 debut for Williams next season after winning this year's European Formula 3 championship with ease. Stroll has benefitted from substantial backing throughout his career so far and has undertaken a multi-million dollar testing program with Williams in order to prepare for his rookie season.

Deputy team principal Williams believes any suggestion of Stroll being a pay driver is unfair on both him and the team due to their recent records.

"When it comes to Lance I think out of courtesy we should reserve judgment," Williams said. "Considering his age he has achieved a huge amount – he's won every championship that he's taken part in and particularly [in 2016] in the F3 championship. As everybody knows, Williams isn't a team that would put their stake into a driver that they didn't believe could deliver. We are a serious team with serious ambitions and I am not going to put a driver in a car that I don't believe will deliver. I believe that Lance will.

"Yes he's going to be a rookie, yes he's going to make mistakes, but from everything that we've seen in his 3-to-1 program he's a really fast learner. When the engineers go through run plans with him, when he gets in a car and he gives his feedback and they go through the data, he picks up everything he's told. He learns, he gets in the car and he doesn't make the same mistake again or he improves on his time. I think that's everything that we can ask of him at the moment.

"Everyone knows that this team has been quite risk-averse over its history but I think it's a great thing that teams are bringing in new drivers. I think that's what we need – we need new blood in this sport and I think it's really exciting. I think we should give the guy the chance to prove his talent and to prove that he deserves the seat. And I wouldn't put him in a car if I didn't believe that he could deliver."

Williams is facing uncertainty over who will be paired with Stroll, with Valtteri Bottas the subject of an approach from Mercedes and Felipe Massa (pictured at left, above, with Stroll) having been sounded out over a potential return from retirement.