Williams wants to keep Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado
Williams' season is one of the most complicated in the history of the Grove-based team. However, it does not blame its driver duo, Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado, whom they plan to retain for next year.
The expressed desire to keep Rubens Barrichello is not necessarily a surprise since the Brazilian remains the most experienced driver on the grid, and his technical expertise can only be a great help for the team.
Especially since the team is about to undergo significant changes in its technical organization and will switch engine suppliers in the off-season, with the return of Renault engines from the 2012 Formula 1 season.
However, the statement made by Adam Parr to our colleagues at Autosport in this regard seems to be news to the Paulista, who never fails to let people know what he thinks: “I would have liked him to tell me directly. I still haven’t heard about it. I want to race next year, I want to have a competitive car next year. I have worked with Williams, I have spoken with Mike Coughlan at the factory, and I am part of the organization. I hope they have something planned. My mindset is to stay in Formula 1. So I hope the team will offer me something quickly so we can stay together. Ideally, I’d like to stay here, but I’d like him to say it publicly. And if they are happy with the drivers, they should talk to the drivers, not the press,” said the Brazilian driver.
As for Pastor Maldonado, it seems that the support provided by the Venezuelan government through the oil company PDVSA is a strong argument for him to keep his seat. Of course, Adam Parr refuses to mention it and instead talks about the intrinsic talents of his driver. “I’ve always thought, and people have laughed at us and me a lot when we said it, that he is a very, very talented driver. His record in GP2 earned him a place in F1, and you can see a speed, regularity, and maturity that people did not expect from him either. We have been in Q3 three times this season and each time, he was there.”
Unfortunately, these strong performances in qualifying are never translated into points, as the Venezuelan driver often lacks race pace. Currently, Williams can only rely on the four small points collected by Rubens Barrichello. Sir Frank’s team is thus the last of the established teams, ahead of the three new outfits.
With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr
