The Williams team today announced that Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas, whose name looks like it should be a bit rude but isn't, as their 2010 test and reserve driver, following Nico Hulkenburg's promotion to the race team for the new season.
Bottas finished third in the Formula 3 Euroseries last season after winning the Formula Renault Eurocup the year before, and will join up to be the reserve to Williams race drivers Hulkenburg and Rubens Barrichello. He will combine his duties with another season in the F3 Euroseries.
The Finn proudly said that it was great to join the team, and said that he was looking forward to learning from his experience within the Williams setup.
“This is a great way to start 2010," he muttered, "I am very honoured to have been selected by a team as prestigious as AT&T Williams, one of the most significant names in the sport. This is an important step in my career but now the real work starts to get to the top.
"I am sure I will learn a lot with the team and I trust that together we will achieve great results for the years to come. This opportunity gives me even more positive energy to improve as a driver and achieve my future targets as my ultimate goal will be to become Formula One World Champion one day.
"I take the opportunity to thank Sir Frank Williams and the senior management of the team and also to thanks my management and my sponsors for all their work and support so far.”
Meanwhile, team boss Sir Frank Williams gasped that: “Valtteri’s CV is very impressive, with a long list of success in the right junior formulae. We hope that the role of official test driver in our squad will provide him with another step in his development. We wish him all the best in the Formula Three Euroseries this season.”
Meanwhile, a photograph of the new Williams on track was leaked out to the press yesterday, ahead of the car's proposed launch in Valencia on Monday.
The photograph, published by Autosport.com, shows a long and thin-looking car, again taking design cues from Adrian Newey's successful RB5 like Ferrari's new car that was launched yesterday. The photograph shows Hulkenburg driving the car during a filming day at Silverstone.
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