Veteran Williams driver Rubens Barrichello has said that he is not treating this weekend's 2012 season finale in Brazil as his final Formula One race, despite continued suggestions that the team will replace him for next season.
Barrichello's seat at Williams has been linked with a number of other drivers for next year, most notably with 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen.With so few seats remaining on the 2012 grid, any decision by Williams to replace Barrichello now would make it highly unlikely that he could find an alternative drive to prolong his 19-year F1 career.
But despite the prospect of his home race this weekend being his swansong in the sport, he has insisted that he is not looking at the situation like that.
"I am positive, I am not going to say goodbye to people [in Brazi]," he was quoted as saying by the Autosport website this week.
He added: "It is almost like I deserve to be there, I am not doing this because of the money, I am not doing this because I want to be just one more in F1, I want to do this because I am so competitive and I deserve to be here.
"After 20 years [in F1] with 40 years of age I want to be there and I am working my balls off to make that happen."
Barrichello also insisted that the Grove-based team would make serious improvements in 2012, after undergoing a wide-ranging technical reshuffle following their dismal start to 2011.
The team will also move to a new contract for customer Renault engines, dumping their current Cosworth units.
"Engine side, structure, new thinking, motivation, everything can be a big step next year," the Brazilian driver rambled, "That is what I believe. I don't know if it is going to be a winning car but it will be a hell of a lot better car."
He added that the reshuffle itself, which saw the likes of former McLaren man Mike Coughlan come into the team and former technical chief Sam Michael depart, had hindered the team's chances of improvements this year.
"The problem this year was the leaving people until the others came in and that missing three to four months, that was no leadership at that time," he lamented.
Williams have scored just five points in 2011 so far, with one race to go, and are set to finish ninth in the constructors standings, their worst-ever championship performance.
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