Thursday, September 2, 2010

Williams yesterday unveiled veteran Rubens Barrichello as a new driver for the 2010 season, along with German rookie Nico Hulkenberg.

German youngster Nico Rosberg looks set to trade places with Barrichello and head to Brawn GP, while  Japan’s Kazuki Nakajima is out of a drive at the end of the season. The news means the much-travelled Brazilian will be going into his 17th F1 season alongside a youngster who has been the team’s test and reserve driver this year.

Team leader Frank Williams said: “Rubens needs no introduction. He is not only the most experienced driver in Formula One, but a passionate and talented driver who fought hard for the championship this year.

“Nico Hulkenberg won the GP2 Championship this season as a rookie and has previously won the F3 Euroseries, Formula Masters, A1 GP and Formula BMW Germany.

“Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima remain our drivers until the end of 2009 and I would like to thank them for their contribution.”

Barrichello finished third this season for Brawn, behind team-mate Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel. And the 37-year-old insists winning is still his main motivation. He said: “I have a lot of passion for speed, for overtaking, for the things that pump me up, the challenge of winning.

“I want to go on and have a chance to keep on winning.”

F1 chiefs may well be celebrating the success of the new Yas Marina track, but the under-fire sport was dealt a big blow after Bridgestone confirmed they would no longer be the official tyre supplier to the FIA at the end of their current contract.

Bridgestone have supplied tyres to F1 for 13 years, with an exclusive deal since 2007.

Who will now supply tyres is a mystery, with Michelin out since 2006 while Goodyear left F1 way back in 1998.

An industry expert believes the pull-out reflects the need to slash costs as perceptions change towards motors.

“Once a car was cool for its high speed, competitiveness, design and style,” said Tatsuya Mizuno, an auto analyst at Mizuno Credit Advisory. “Winning in Formula One equated with what people thought was cool.

“But now people want more environmentally friendly, fuel-effective and safe cars.

“Auto and autopart makers are questioning what they can gain now by spending hundreds of millions of yen in taking part in Formula One.”