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I am Adam Feneley, studying for an MEng in Motorsport Engineering at Brunel University, England.

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29 Oct 2009

Rosberg is to leave Williams - likely destination Brawn

Nico Rosberg has revealed that he is leaving Williams at the end of the season, with the German driver expected to race for Brawn GP in 2010.

The 24-year-old would not comment when asked to confirm that he had done a deal with Brawn's engine supplier Mercedes, which had secured him a seat.

"It is my last race for Williams so it's a bit strange," he said, ahead of Sunday's final 2009 race in Abu Dhabi.

Rosberg is likely to swap places with Brawn's veteran Rubens Barrichello.

"I've been with the team for five years," added Rosberg.

I'm not sure they [Williams] can win races at the moment, and I would like to win races

Nico Rosberg

"They're the only team, I've worked with. [Team boss] Frank Williams, especially, [chief executive] Adam Parr, [technical director] Sam Michael, [co-owner] Patrick Head have really supported my career over these years and I'd like to say a very big thank you to them.

"There's no reason why they can't be as good as this year (next year). But I'm not sure they can win races at the moment, and I would like to win races.

"It's been a good season because the team gave me a good car it was an opportunity to raise my share value and to find a winning car for next year."

In August, Rosberg put himself forward as a potential team-mate for world champion Lewis Hamilton at McLaren if Heikki Kovalainen left.

But with German car giant Mercedes rumoured to be interested purchasing a considerable stake in the Brawn team, it is believed they want a native driver to drive for the new world champions.

Rosberg has landed two podium finishes in his 69-race career, but just missed out on improving that record this season with fourth places in both Germany and Hungary.

Barrichello, who was Jenson Button's main challenger for the 2009 world title before his team-mate clinched the crown at the last race in Brazil, has been in talks with Williams over a one-year deal.

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18 Oct 2009

Jenson Button and Brawn GP - F1 World Champions

Jenson Button sealed the drivers' championship with a superb recovery drive at a dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix won by Red Bull's Mark Webber.

Brawn's English driver started from 14th but executed a series of spectacular early overtaking moves before finishing the race fifth.

His main title threat, team-mate Rubens Barrichello, suffered a late puncture which dropped him down to eighth place.

Brawn still clinched the constructors' championship in their debut season.

BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica came second ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton while six drivers retired in Sao Paulo.

Red Bull's talented German Sebastian Vettel, who started just behind Button, finished fourth while Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi finished a season-high seventh.

That race, to me, was worthy of becoming world champion. The perfect way to do it

Jenson Button

Button was already in a position to win the title but his path was made smoother when that puncture pushed Barrichello, who so badly wanted to win on a circuit he was born in the shadow of, down the pack.

The results ultimately pale into significance with Button's maiden world title now the talk of Formula 1 and beyond, but the race delivered a fitting scene for that success.

With the stands bubbling over with atmosphere, anticipation was sky-high at a track high in the hills above Sao Paulo where the world championship has now been decided in the past five years.

And, as soon the race got under way, drama ensued.

Barrichello made a rapid start while Ferrari's Kimi Raikonen jumped up to third using his energy-boost (Kers) button before suffering front wing damage in a frenetic dash off the grid.

But a contentious first-lap collision between Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Force India's Adrian Sutil caused the pair to engage in a furious argument at the side of the track - both blaming the other driver - before they were forced to retire from the race, along with Renault's Fernando Alonso.

Seconds later, in the pits, McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen pulled away from his mechanics taking the fuel hose with him.

The leaking fuel immediately caught fire right in Raikkonen's face, although it quickly died away and the Finn was able to drive on instantly.

All the while Button had managed to steer clear, literally, of any trouble to move into ninth place after starting the race in 14th.

Buoyed by another stroke of luck in a season when he has worked so hard for it, he quickly set about improving his position with a sublime display of raw bravery and driving precision once the safety car came in on lap six.

Charging Button first used persistence to take Romain Grosjean on the outside to move into eighth before eating up Kazuki Nakajima to go seventh before quickly setting about Toyota's Kamui Kobayashi.

The Formula 1 debutant defended for all his life but Button, who had been losing real pace in the turbulent air compared to Barrichello and Webber up front, used all his nous to dummy himself into a clever pass on lap 24.

Barrichello, meanwhile, had not quite managed to put enough space between him and Australia's Webber and he lost the lead after coming out after his pit stop after being taken by Vettel and then getting caught up in traffic.

Remaining punchy and still living on the edge despite having moved into a decent position, after pitting on lap 29 an attacking Button managed to execute another overtaking manoeuvre as he crucially slipped past Buemi.

Williams's Nakajima careered off the track at the end of the back straight on lap 31 to briefly bring the safety car out again as Barrichello's chances of winning the race, and keeping the title battle open until the last grand prix in Abu Dhabi, slipped agonisingly away.

At this point Webber clocking fastest laps for fun and team-mate Vettel driving superbly, both drivers pushing their impressive Red Bull cars to the limit.

Button, who won six of the first seven races of 2009 but has endured a tough second half of the season, met the test of nerve he faced until the finish head on and in style.

"The last few races have been a bit stressful for me, especially qualifying," a jubilant Button told BBC Sport.

"But that race today, to me, was worthy of becoming world champion. Kobayashi is absolutely crazy, very aggressive. It was a great race really enjoyable. that was the perfect way to do it."

Hamilton started the race from back in 17th but the man who now hands over his world crown to compatriot Button was typically aggressive as he made the most of the circumstances that he encountered to finish on the podium.

Race stewards are investigating the crash between Sutil and Trulli, along with an incident involving Ferrari's Giancarlo Fisichella and Kovalainen's mishap in the pits.

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17 Oct 2009

Bruno Senna closing on F1 Grid place for 2010

Brazil's Bruno Senna says he is close to following his late uncle Ayrton Senna into Formula 1 next season.

The 26-year-old has been linked with Campos Meta Racing, who will join the grid for the first time in 2010, but he is also holding talks with other teams.

"Negotiations are going forward with Campos," he told BBC Sport

"It is more likely that I will join one of the new teams in 2010 and we're coming quite close to negotiating a good deal in F1"

Senna revealed that he has been in discussions about an F1 race seat for the last few months, holding talks with an existing outfit as well as 2010's new teams - Campos Meta Racing, Lotus and Manor GP - with the exception of USF1.

The Brazilian is hopeful of determining where his future lies before the season finale in Abu Dhabi on 1 November but will take his time weighing up all the options.

"I'm looking for a team that has the potential to deliver results and consistency," he added.

There is definitely a lot of pressure and expectation on me but that's motor racing and you have to learn how to deal with it

Bruno Senna

"It's vital to be in Formula 1 next year as maybe it will be lost if it doesn't happen then.

"The best possibilities are with the new teams. There are a few good propositions on the table and we seem to be quite close. I'm keen to get going next year."

However, Senna ruled out a move to the new Lotus F1 team for sentimental reasons alone. It was with Lotus that three-time world champion Ayrton Senna claimed his first ever pole position and victory in 1985.

"I'm not the most sentimental person in the world," said Senna, who finished as runner-up in the 2008 GP2 feeder series.

"We are talking to Lotus but it's not the same team as before. I worked at the Goodwood Festival with some of the guys who were at the team with Ayrton but in F1 it's different now."

Senna tested with Honda last November before the Japanese car manufacturer withdrew from 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.

Brawn are now on the verge of sealing the constructors' crown at the Brazilian Grand Prix, while both Button and Barrichello are vying for the drivers' championship along with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

606: DEBATE
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Senna, who is driving in the Le Mans sportscar series this season, says he has mixed feelings about the team's success after he was overlooked for a race seat.

"I am happy for them, obviously, as I've spent some days testing with the team in the past," said Senna, who was visiting his hometown grand prix in Sao Paulo.

"I'd love to be there myself and having a good championship but that's life and you have to get on with it."

Senna also shrugged off the weight of expectation that would follow him into F1 if he returned the legendary Senna name to the sport.

The 26-year-old is the son of Ayrton Senna's sister, Viviane Lalli, but he believes he is already used to handling the intense spotlight of Brazilian motorsport.

"There is definitely a lot of pressure and expectation on me but that's motor racing and you have to learn how to deal with it," he added.

"Many times the pressure only comes when you are successful but you are better off starting with it and learning how to cope."

The remaining race seats for 2010 are likely to be decided after the final race of the season in two weeks' time.

Now Fernando Alonso's move to Ferrari has been confirmed for 2010, with Robert Kubica replacing him at Renault, attention has shifted to Brawn and McLaren.

Barrichello has confirmed that he has held talks with Williams and Nico Rosberg has been tipped to go in the opposite direction and replace him at Brawn. However, with both championships still to be decided Ross Brawn says he will not make any firm decisions until the end of the season.

After being released from his Ferrari contract, Kimi Raikkonen has been linked with a return to McLaren in place of Heikki Kovalainen, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

Kovalainen in turn has been linked with both Renault and Toyota, who may decide not to retain either Jarno Trulli or Timo Glock next season.

The expanded grid in 2010 also increases the chances for former drivers such as Anthony Davidson, who has been linked to Lotus, and new names such as Renault reserve driver Lucas di Grassi, Williams reserve Nico Hulkenberg and Senna.

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14 Oct 2009

Rubens Barrichello in talks with Williams for 2010 race seat

Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello says he has opened negotiations with Williams as he seeks to secure a Formula 1 drive for next season.
The Brazilian said Williams are among a number of options available to him.
"I haven't signed with anybody yet, but it's true that I'm talking with Williams and Brawn," he said.
The 37-year-old is 14 points behind Brawn team-mate Jenson Button in the drivers' world championship with two races remaining in the 2009 season.
Barrichello is preparing for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, his home circuit where he is yet to win a race, on 18 October.

Following a six-year spell at Ferrari, Barrichello joined Honda in 2005 and was retained by new team Brawn GP when the Japanese team withdrew from Formula 1 in December 2008.
He remains the most experienced F1 driver with 286 races in 17 seasons but has yet to win the world championship.
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