Bottas and Hamilton pay tribute as Williams family step away from F1

Mercedes drivers Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton has paid tribute to Sit Frank and Claire Williams after Claire announced on Thursday the family were to step away from the team after the Italian Grand Prix.

Earlier in the year, it was announced that Williams would be sold to US investment firm Doriliton Capital, though the iconic 'FW' chassis number, in respect to team boss Sir Frank Williams and the team name would remain unchanged in the future..

Bottas, who made his debut with the team in 2013, thanked the team for allowing him to step up to F1 and admitted it was sad to see the family depart from the sport.

"I met Frank and then eventually I got that opportunity to become a test driver and then used that opportunity and they gave me the chance to be a race driver. They really believed in me and they gave me the opportunity to show what I can do," Bottas said.

"I was quite sad to see the news that the family is kind of stepping away from the race team and even Frank is going to be pretty much aside.

"The many things they achieved in Formula One is really impressive by a family team so it's very sad, but I'm very thankful to everyone there."

Hamilton also opened up on his awe of Sir Frank and his accomplishments with the team in the sport and echoed Bottas' comments about seeing the family step away from F1.

"I'm a big fan of Sir Frank and his incredible contribution to the sport,"

"He was always so positive to me and he was one of the people I respected most here.

"I think he was probably one of the most honest, if not the most honest, people here in F1 so it's definitely sad to see the end of the chapter, the end of a book, but I think their legacy will continue as I believe they keep the name at least."