Sergey Sirotkin's backers SMP Racing wanted better financial terms from Williams to continue with the team in 2019, after a hugely disappointing season for the Russian in the team that produced an 'evil' race car for their drivers.
But along came Robert Kubica with PKN Orlen supplied funding to claim the seat and leave Sirotkin out in the cold, a situation which SMP Racing's sporting director Mika Salo insists is not an issue as he predicts another season of woe for the Grove outfit.
Speaking to Finland's MTV, former F1 driver Salo revealed, "Our offer was on the table, Williams would only had to sign. Of course, after the performances of 2018, SMP wanted to push the price down a bit."
"Most importantly, our company wanted assurances from Williams that they would improve. We did not come to an agreement because they could not provide any guarantees and then they opted for another solution."
"We don't think Williams will improve next year, so another season with them is not worth the money, thus I'm not worried that Sergey has left the team. "
"We believe he had a good season. He did a solid job and team members liked him. His technical expertise is amazing," added Salo who hinted that the Russian driver may be drafted into the team's WEC programme which includes ex-F1 drivers Vitaly Petrov and Jenson Button.
Asked to comment on Kubica's return, Salo added, "It's going to be tough but Robert is tough too. He will be the best judge of how to deal with the comeback."
Big Question: Would another season with a back-of-the-grid Williams team be good for Sergey?
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