Alex Lynn will not be driving in Formula One for the Toro Rosso team next season after they announced that it would be Carlos Sainz Jnr who would be lining up alongside Max Verstappen.

Lynn, who is from Dunmow, has been a fellow Red Bull Junior Programme driver with Sainz Jnr - the son of former World Rally Championship winner Carlos Sainz Snr - this year.

It had been expected that the vacant berth in the Formula One team would be taken by either the Spaniard or the 21-year-old from Essex.

Both had success in the respective championships they had driven in this year, with Lynn becoming GP3 Series champion and Sainz Jnr claiming the World Series by Renault 3.5 title.

It was looking increasingly likely that the Spanish driver would get the place at Toro Rosso after he was selected to undertake testing for the senior Red Bull team at Abu Dhabi this week and the Toro Rosso team have said today that it will be him who gets the place.

Lynn was quick to congratulate his Red Bull Junior Programme colleague.

He said on his Twitter account: "Just like to say well done to @carlosainz for getting the drive! Give it the big one."

Lynn will now be looking to further his own F1 ambitions, perhaps away from the Red Bull family, although he has said this week that the team have told him that they will assist him in his bid to join the top echelon of motorsport.

He has had some Formula One experience this week as he drove for Lotus in the post-season testing session in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and he has also been conducting GP2 testing for ART Grand Prix.