Rosberg confirms Williams exit

Share

Nico Rosberg has confirmed he will leave Williams following this season's final race of the Formula One season in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Speculation has been rife for the last two months that Rosberg was to end his four-year association with the Grove-based team.

Although the 24-year-old refused to divulge which team he will race with next year, it has been an open secret he will move to Brawn GP as new world champion Jenson Button's team-mate.

It is understood Rubens Barrichello will then switch to Williams on a one-year contract.

"This is my last race for Williams," revealed Rosberg.

"It's a bit strange because for four years it has been the only team I've worked with, so it's been a long time.

"I get on really well with everybody, a lot of respect has built up with all the mechanics, so it is going to be quite strange to leave.

"I can only use the opportunity to really thank the team because it has been very good for my career.

"Sir Frank, Adam Parr, Sam Michael and Patrick Head have really supported my career all these years, so quite a big thank you to them."

Rosberg stopped short of naming Brawn as the team he will now sign for, adding: "I don't want to talk about my future.

"I just want to say I won't be with Williams because that's sure."

Williams end Toyota deal

Share

The Williams Formula One team have announced their engine supply deal with Japanese manufacturer Toyota will end at the conclusion of the 2009 season.

The announcement, which had been expected for several weeks, leaves the Grove-based team free to name its engine supplier for the 2010 season, with both Renault and Cosworth having been linked as a possible replacement for Toyota.

Williams team boss Frank Williams said: "At a time of great difficulty for us as a team, Toyota stepped forward and agreed to supply us with engines for 2007 through to the end of 2009.

"Toyota has been a very decent partner who have always respected our independence and provided us with a first-rate technical product. We are proud that we have been able to work with such a great company and we are grateful to the team in Cologne for their support.

"I would like to single out for our thanks the Toyota engineers and technicians who have worked within our race team tirelessly for the past three years."

Toyota motorsport boss Tadashi Yamashina said: "We have enjoyed a productive working relationship with Williams and I believe both companies have benefited from that partnership. We respect the wishes of Williams to look for other opportunities and wish them well for the future."

One man who could benefit from the new engine deal at Williams is current Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello.

The Brazilian has revealed he has had talks with Williams over moving to the Oxfordshire outfit next season.

The 37-year-old trails championship leader and Brawn team-mate Jenson Button by 14 points in the standings ahead of his home race at Interlagos this weekend.

Barrichello, in quotes reported by The Guardian, said: "I haven't signed with anybody yet. But it's true that I'm talking with Williams and Brawn."

Barrichello, who made his F1 debut in 1993, is the most experienced driver in grand prix history having started 286 races.

Williams suspended in sign-up row

Share

Williams have been suspended from the Formula 1 Teams' Association (Fota) after signing up for the 2010 season.

The teams are in talks over planned budgetary curbs for next year and several teams including Ferrari say they will quit if a deal is not agreed.

"Fota's decision, although regrettable, is understandable," said team principal Frank Williams.

"As a company whose only business is F1 with obligations to our partners and employees entering was unquestionable."

Team chiefs met in Monaco at the weekend to discuss the proposals put forward by International Motorsport Federation (FIA) chief Max Mosley, and further talks are planned for London on Wednesday.Ferrari, Renault, Red Bull and Toyota have all threatened to pull out of the sport if the budgetary restrictions are forced through, but on Monday, the day after the Monaco Grand Prix, Williams broke ranks and confirmed they were signing up for next season.

At the time, Williams chief executive Adam Parr said they felt "morally and legally obliged" to make it clear the team would continue to take part in F1.

"We owe it to our employees, sponsors and fans who are affected by statements that teams may not enter next year," he added.

Teams have until this Friday to submit their entries for 2010 season. It is not clear how long Williams' suspension from Fota will be in operation.

Williams set fastest F1 test time

Share

Williams' Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima set the fastest time of the week on the final day of Formula 1 testing in Jerez.

Nakajima, 24, clocked a best time of one minute 17.494, while Heikki Kovalainen showed that McLaren will be competitive with a time of 1:17.946.

The previous best had been Jenson Button's 1:17.844 for Brawn GP.

The four-day test was the last before the 2009 season gets underway in Australia on 29 March.

Testing is now banned until the end of the year, apart from a few days of straight-line aerodynamic testing.

The British-based Williams team finished eighth in the constructors' world championship last year but Nakajima and fellow driver Nico Rosberg will be boosted by the car's performance in testing.

"We have put over 8,000 km on the FW31 (car) in the last two months and, while there are always areas that require attention, reliability has been good," said Williams technical director Sam Michael.

Nakajima finished in the points five times last season, scoring nine in total, but came 15th in the overall standings.

F1 champion Lewis Hamilton was a couple of seconds off the pace in testing with a best lap of 1:19.121 set on Tuesday.

New Williams given low-key launch

Share

Williams believe they can compete at the front of the 2009 F1 grid having given their new car a low-key debut at Portugal's Portimao test track.

The FW31, still in its dark blue winter testing livery, was quietly wheeled out alongside test driver Nico Hulkenberg.

Like its 2009 rivals, the car features a wide nose and tall, narrow rear wing.

"Under-expect and over-deliver is the best way," said technical director Sam Michael. "But there is more of a level playing field than for many a year."

Williams have committed their future to Formula One following the sport's recent financial uncertainty, but know an improvement on last season's dismal eighth-place finish in the constructors' standings is vital.

The new-look wings on the FW31 are in keeping with those sported by the other cars so far unveiled - Ferrari's F60, Toyota's TF109, McLaren's MP4-24 and Renault's R29.

But the aerodynamic design appears slightly different, and Michael admitted a considerable proportion of the team's 2008 resources had been channelled into the 2009 car.

"We probably started work on this car at the same time as others, working in the wind tunnel in December 2007 and drawing many of the parts six weeks before that," said Michael.

"But the difference is, going into 2008 we increased our resource significantly throughout last season, which is why we took quite a big penalty on the old car.

"Hopefully that will pay off now with a more competitive 2009 car."

One significant difference with the Williams is that the team are testing a flywheel kinetic energy recovery system, the device that stores energy under braking.

All their rivals have chosen the alternative battery option, which Williams have also explored, but the team have yet to decide whether they will begin the season with either on the car.

"The rules are so different aerodynamically, and that is really exciting," said Michael of the differences between his car and those of his rivals on the grid.

"That's why I'm in Formula One, to be honest. If you look at periods like this, from an engineering point of view it's fascinating to see people come up with different concepts.

"It's really exciting to see which ones are good and which ones are not, and there'll be a massive fever of development during the year because of that.

"There are some big differences across the cars at the moment, and that's the great thing about Formula One."

However, the FW31's first full outing ended on a flat note when Hulkenberg aquaplaned off the circuit after completing 17 laps, damaging the front nose.

Despite his wobble, Hulkenberg, who will be replaced by race driver Nico Rosberg for Tuesday's testing session, was pleased with the car's first outing.

Renault and Williams debut new cars in Portugal

Share

Renault and Williams both gave their 2009 cars their first public outings on Monday morning at the start of this week’s multi-team test session at the Algarve Motor Park circuit in Portugal.

The Renault R28 was presented to the press by drivers Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet, along with team boss Flavio Briatore, while Williams tester Nico Hulkenberg starred with the FW31, running in an interim testing livery. The team’s 2009 race livery will be revealed prior to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March.

Both cars will be testing alongside those of rival teams McLaren, who track debuted the new MP4-24 at the Portimao circuit on Saturday following its UK launch last Friday, and Toyota, who ran their new TF109 for the first time at the Portimao venue on Sunday.

Testing continues in Portugal until Thursday. In neighbouring Spain, BMW Sauber will launch their new F1.09 - and start testing it - at Jerez on Tuesday.

Williams retain drivers for 2009

Share

The Williams-Toyota team will retain Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima as the team's drivers for the 2009 season.

Nico Hulkenberg, currently leading the Formula 3 Euroseries, will continue as the official test driver.

Germany's Rosberg, 23, moved to 12th in the world championship standings after his second-place finish at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday.

Team principal Frank Williams said: "I am delighted to be able to maintain continuity with our drivers."

Rosberg, the son of former F1 world champion Keke Rosberg, has made steady progress since his F1 debut at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix

Frank Williams described the German as "one of the most capable drivers in the sport", adding that Japan's Nakajima was "getting stronger all the time".

Nakajima, 23, made his debut when he replaced the retired Alexander Wurz in last season's final race, and is also following in the footsteps of his father Satoru Nakajima by lining up on the grid

Williams

Share

Williams appear to be realising their aim of finding a way out of the slump they suffered in recent years.

The team are still a long way from recapturing their glory days of the 1980s and 1990s.

But this year's car is another steady step on the road to recovery after some particularly trying years.

In Nico Rosberg, they have a highly regarded young talent. Team-mate Kazuki Nakajima - quick but wild - is there at the behest of engine supplier Toyota.

Nationality: British
Drivers:
Nico Rosberg (Ger)
Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn)
Engine: Toyota V8
Tyres: Bridgestone
Team principal: Frank Williams
Years in F1: 1969-
2007 position: 4th
Drivers' titles: 7
Constructors' titles: 9