Williams have announced that chief technical officer Pat Symonds is to leave his role at the end of the year.

The 63-year-old had helped the team to consecutive third-place finishes in the constructors' championship, before this season's fifth-place finish.

Symonds's three-year contract is now up and Williams do not plan on renewing his terms by December 31, bringing an end to his stint and paving the way for Mercedes executive director Paddy Lowe to come on board.

"Pat has been a tremendous asset to this team over the past three years," deputy team principal Claire Williams said. "Pat's appointment was the start of a major restructuring exercise, and he has been pivotal in reshaping Williams into what is a much stronger racing team today.

"I would like to thank him for all of his hard work and commitment during that time. We now look to the future and will be announcing details regarding the team's technical leadership in due course."

Symonds has been involved in F1 for the past 25 years, winning a total of four world titles with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso.