Williams confirm Nakajima and Rosberg Wed 07 Nov, 09:05 AM Reuters LONDON (Reuters) - Japan's Kazuki Nakajima will race for Williams next season, the Formula One team confirmed on Wednesday. The 22-year-old son of former grand prix racer Satoru Nakajima will partner Germany's Nico Rosberg, also 22 and the son of Finland's 1982 world champion Keke, at the Toyota-powered team. Nakajima, who was the team's official test and reserve driver this year, raced for Williams in the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix after Austrian Alexander Wurz announced his retirement. Although he injured a mechanic in a pit lane incident at Interlagos, the youngster impressed with the fifth fastest race lap and a 10th place finish after starting 19th. "This is the crowning of a great year for me," the Japanese said in a team statement. "I am very grateful to Toyota for the support I have had through the Toyota driver's programme and to Williams for the team's faith in me. "There is plenty of work to be done before next season starts but I am resolved to do whatever is necessary and to show Williams and Toyota that they have made a good investment." Rosberg has been with Williams since his debut in 2006 but his future with the former champions has been uncertain, with the youngster considered the leading candidate to replace Fernando Alonso as Lewis Hamilton's team mate at McLaren. Spain's double world champion split with the Mercedes-powered team last week after a breakdown in their relationship over a traumatic season. Williams said, however, that the highly-rated German would remain "the mainstay of the team's continued drive towards the front of the field". The Grove-based team finished last season fourth overall, their standing enhanced by McLaren being stripped of all their constructors' points for a spying controversy involving leaked Ferrari technical information. "Nico will be racing for the team for his third consecutive year after demonstrating impressive and widely applauded form in 2007," team owner Frank Williams said. "Nico will be ably partnered by Kazuki, who has impressed the team over the past year. He has pace and the right aptitude to develop into a competitive Formula One racer." Nakajima senior spent five seasons in Formula One, making his race debut with Lotus Honda in 1987 and taking career best fourth places in the 1987 British Grand Prix and 1989 Australian Grand Prix. He ended his career with now-defunct Tyrrell in 1991.
I always like Saturo, I hope his son does well for Williams. Given the track record of Japanese drivers in F1, I think the odds are against him. Nico needs to shine next season.
The same can be said about Alonso or Schumacher, no other German or Spanish drivers has enjoyed the kind of success in the past 20 years until they appeared in F1. Judging from his career path, it would seem like Kazuki was brought along and developed by the correct path. While it is still possible that the only reason he is in the Williams seat is because of Toyota, we will just have to wait and see about Kazuki, how he compares against Nico. I think so. IMO, the 2008 season is shaping up to be a real interesting season. Looks like Ferrari and Renault will be the only two teams with proven veterans, in Kimi and Fernado, should he does decide to go with Renault, with Ferrari has the better supporting cast in Flipe, a GP winner. It will be very interesting to see if Renault becomes competitive immediately with the return of Alonso, if they are, regardless of his off-track behaviors, he deserve to be mentioned right up there with the likes of Schumacher, Prost and Senna. McLaren still looks to be strong with Lewis and now possibly Hekkei, but we will now see if Lewis truly has what it takes or was he only riding on Fernado's coat tail in 2007. And with Nico at Williams and Kubica at BMW, both teams and drivers desperately needs to show results, they can certainly be part of the mix for the 2008 season.
+1 Lewis will deserve much more adoration if he is putting out the same results this coming season like he did in 2007. I have a feeling that if Fernando does go to Renault that they will be back into championship contention because he does have experience developing a car to suit himself nicely. My only hope is that Felipe is not immediately relegated to the number two spot on the team and is allowed to race for victories at least until one of the drivers is obviously ahead and needs the support of the other in the title chase.
So, Williams likes drivers who run over their pit crew? LOL This will not help Williams in the fight for the championship IMVHO.
IIRC, Schumacher also ran over one of his crew Ferrari crew member, and broke either his ankle or his leg, and he went on to win 5 titles with Ferrari. Incidentally, the member he ran over is name Nigel Stepney. He was the crew chief at the time.
That's why we call them the good old days. Too bad he didn't break both ankles (just kidding) Stealing the Ferrari information was probably not payback for this as he would have committed his crime whilst Schumi was still driving. If Nakijima is WDC in 2008, I will buy you dinner.
He may not win the title in 2008 as a rookie, but he can be competitive. How about you buy dinner if he out drives Nico at Williams?
This is good for Williams but bad for Nico. If he was offered a top tier seat he needs to go. Nakajima presumably brings wheelbarrows full of cash which may give Williams a shot in the arm. Once again many judge a drivers ability based on race finish results rather than finish results within the team against equal co-drivers. Nico had a stellar year. Lets hope Frank delivers the goods.
Nico had a stellar year because he beat an out of touch and seemingly uninterested Wurz? He didn't exactly out pace Alonso or Raikkonen did he? Nico did a good job in his sophomore year, but I can't see this as justification that he can be compared to Hamilton, as many people do. I also can't say I'm happy to see Nakajima get the seat, but if he brings the kind of money that can help Williams get higher up the grid, then that's great.
