It has been confirmed that Williams technical director Pat Symonds will leave the team at the end of this year.
Symonds joined Williams on a three-year deal at the end of 2013 and is set to depart when that contract expires on December 31, 2016. Under his technical direction, Williams has returned to the front half of the grid and finished third in the constructors' championship in 2014 and 2015 before slipping to fifth this year.
Mercedes technical boss Paddy Lowe has been linked to a top job at Williams next season and Symonds' departure could be the first concrete sign that the deal is going ahead.