Hakkinen protégé new Williams tester
Date published : 29 Jan 2010 - 10:45:49
Williams has completed its full driver line-up for 2010 by signing young Finnish star Valtteri Bottas to the role of official test driver.
The 20-year-old finished third in his rookie year of the F3 Euroseries in 2009 and replaces Nico Hulkenberg in the position after the German was promoted to a race seat alongside new signing Rubens Barrichello.
Bottas, who is managed by double world and compatriot Mika Hakkinen, admits he feels privileged to be joining such a legendary team as Williams and has promised to push on even harder in his career.
This is a great way to start 2010, he said.
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 1 worldchampion 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.
Team owner Sir Frank Williams said he had been impressed by Valtterri's record on his progress through the motorsport ranks so far, which has included title wins in the WSK International Series Formula A, the Formula Renault Eurocup and last year's F3 Masters event.
Valtterri's CV is very impressive, with a long list of success in the right junior formulae, Williams said.
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.
