02-Oct-08: Williams Confirm Nakajima for 2009
October 2, 2008 by Christine
Filed under Daily F1 News
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Welcome to F1 Minute for the 2nd October 2008.
Williams have confirmed their driver lineup for next season and it remains unchanged. We already knew that Rosberg would be driving for them in 2009, but now Nakajima has been signed up for next year as well. Frank Williams believes it is good to be consistent with the two drivers, plus Nico Hulkenberg as tester, and says: “Nico Rosberg continues to be one of the most capable drivers in the sport. Kazuki is getting stronger all the time and has more to offer and Nico Hulkenberg is developing well.”
Also today, Flavio Briatore has apparently said he will be taking a different role at Renault next year, and bringing a team director on board to run the day-to-day business. Briatore has said he already has someone in mind.
Finally, Red Bull believe they have found what caused Webber’s gearbox to malfunction in Singapore. They’ve narrowed it down to an electrical surge from the tramlines on the street circuit. What are the chances?
That’s it for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
Steven Roy on Thu, 2nd Oct 2008 19:54
I didn’t know about Flavio stepping back. That is interesting. I wonder who he has in mind.
me on Thu, 2nd Oct 2008 19:58
just to be picky, horner said the surge was probably caused by a passing tram beneath the track. i don’t think there were any tramlines on the track?
i’m assuming he means the singapore subway?
Christine on Thu, 2nd Oct 2008 20:20
From the way he said under the track, I assumed he meant it had been covered up, and the shock came from further along the line.
me on Thu, 2nd Oct 2008 20:25
i tried figuring out where the singapore subway runs, but couldn’t fathom it for nothing.
am none the wiser :)
Steven Roy on Thu, 2nd Oct 2008 22:21
I used to work with an engineer who was involved in constructing the Singapore underground. He was giving us a lecture about having to wear hard hats. I asked if he had ever seen anyone saved because they had a hard hat on & he told me that someone dropped a roofing bolt from the top of a vent shaft while they were building the Singapore underground. The hard hat would have saved the guy below except the guy who dropped it shouted down to him to look out and he looked up to see who was shouting.
Doesn’t really help with Red Bull’s problems
me on Thu, 2nd Oct 2008 22:35
imagine filling in that health and safety report.