Williams confirm Barrichello and Hulkenberg as 2010 pairing

Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello and German rookie Nico Hulkenberg have been announced as Williams' new driver pairing for the 2010 Formula 1 season.

The duo come in for German driver Nico Rosberg, who is set to replace 37-year-old Barrichello at Brawn GP, and Japan's Kazuki Nakajima.

Hulkenberg, 22, was Williams' test and reserve driver this season.

Barrichello was third in this year's drivers' championship, with Brawn team-mate Jenson Button taking the title.

Barrichello was in contention for the championship until the penultimate race in Brazil and finished the season 18 points adrift of Button, and seven behind the runner-up, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

Highlights - Barrichello masters Monza

He spent six years as Michael Schumacher's team-mate at Ferrari, finishing runner-up in the championship to the German in 2002 and 2004.

He had previously driven for the Jordan and Stewart teams, and left Ferrari to join Honda in 2006, being kept on when the team was turned into Brawn last winter.

Barrichello is renowned as an excellent test driver, and is one of the most popular characters in F1.

Team principal Frank Williams said: "He is not only the most experienced driver in Formula 1 but a passionate and talented driver who fought hard for the drivers' 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."

606: DEBATE What are your predicted 2010 driver line-ups? WelshF1

Nakajima ended the season in Abu Dhabi on Sunday with the unfortunate distinction of completing all 17 races without scoring a point.

Barrichello entered F1 in 1993 - a year before his close friend and compatriot Ayrton Senna was killed after a crash in a Williams car at Imola - and will be the first race winner to drive for the team since Colombia's Juan Pablo Montoya and Germany's Ralf Schumacher in 2004.

Williams, who have not won anything since 2004, will be Barrichello's sixth team.

Highlights - Barrichello wins in Valencia

"I am very hopeful of having a very competitive car next year, so that is what I want from myself. I want to go on and keep on winning," Barrichello said.

Barrichello is Formula 1's most experienced driver, with a record 285 races to his name and 11 victories. He is now on course to become the first driver to have started 300 grands prix.

Williams announced over the weekend that they would be switching from Toyota to Cosworth engines next year.

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Senna to enter 2010 F1 with Campos Meta

Brazil's Bruno Senna, nephew of the late triple world champion Ayrton, will make his Formula 1 race debut with new team Campos Meta next season.
The 26-year-old had said he was talking with the Spanish team at the Brazilian Grand Prix a fortnight ago.
He also spoke to other new teams Lotus and Manor GP, plus one existing outfit.
"It is an extraordinary honour to return the name of Senna to Formula 1," said delighted Campos Meta chief executive Rodriguez de Castro.
"The deal with Senna confirms and re-enforces our prime objective of being not only the first Spanish Formula 1 team, but rather the first Iberian-American F1 team."
Senna said: "I'm absolutely delighted to fulfill a lifetime dream. Now it is time to set new targets."
He finished as runner-up in the 2008 GP2 feeder series and tested with Honda last November before the Japanese manufacturer pulled out of F1 at the end of the year.
When the team was rescued by team principal Ross Brawn, he opted to retain the experienced duo of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello at the expense of the promising Senna.
But two weeks ago, at Interlagos, Senna said: "I'm looking for a team that has the potential to deliver results and consistency.
"It's vital to be in Formula 1 next year as maybe it will be lost if it doesn't happen then."
Senna, who is the son of Ayrton Senna's sister, Viviane Lalli, is driving in the Le Mans sportscar series this season.
He had ruled out a move to the new Lotus F1 team for sentimental reasons alone.
It was with Lotus that Ayrton claimed his first pole position and victory in 1985.
The three-time champion, revered as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time, died when he crashed his Williams in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.


By Adam Feneley
Motorsport Engineering
www.motorsportengineering.blogspot.com
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