Sergey Sirotkin’s Formula 1 backer SMP Racing claim🎃s it decided to split with Williams due to the team’s poor performance and lack of development throughout 2018.

Sirotkin has endured a difficult rookie F1 campaign amid a torrid season for Williams, with the British squad announcing on Thursday ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that the Russian will be replaced at the team by Robert𓂃 Kubica from 2019, who will partner Formula 2 championship leader𒉰 and Mercedes-backed George Russell.

SMP responded to the news by saying🧸 it made the call to🌼 leave Williams.

"We decided not to participate in the Formula 1 world championships in a joint project with the Williams Martini Racing team," said f�🐼�ounder and head of the SMP Racing programme, Boris Rotenberg.

“We were unpleasantly surprised by the level at whi💙ch the team was at the beginning of the season. The progress of t🔯he car was also not high enough.

“Despite this, Sergey spent a good season in the conditions in which he found himself, gave his 100% and fully comp꧋leted the tasks assigned to him.

“We are pleased with his work and are cur♊rently considering various options for🌱 continuing Sergey’s career going forward.

“He will d🙈efinitely spend a lot of raceꦯs in the SMP Racing. We will announce our decision soon.”

Sirotkin scored just one point for Williams following Romain Grosjean’s disqualification at the Italian Grand Prix but has matched teammate Lance Stroll for much of the🉐 year, with the team languishing at the bottom of the 2018 constructors’ standings.

While Sirotkin confirmed he will not be competing in F1 next year, his ca🍃reer options could include a foray 𒊎into the World Endurance Championship SMP competes in as part of its LMP1 programme.

"Unfortunately I will not be competing in Formula 1 next year," Sirotki𓄧n said in a post on socia💜l media.

"It was a very long and difficult year, and not everything turned out the way I wanted it to𝐆. But I kept working, put all my effoꦑrt and my soul into achieving the merited results.

"And, to be honest, I believe that gi🐽ven the circumstances we have done a respectable job."

Deputy team principal Claire Williams added: "To talk about Lance [Stroll] and Sergey, they have done a great job for us this year under what has b💫een really tough circumsta🍷nces.

“They have both been incredibly professional and have both given everything on and off the racetrack so our thanks at Williams for what they’ve done for the team over the past year or so wi🌸th us."