Nakajima to race for Williams in 2008

[ArrowsFA1]

Kazuki Nakajima will race for the Williams F1 team next season, autosport.com can reveal.
The Japanese 22-year-old, son of former Formula One driver Saturo Nakajima, was Williams's test driver in 2007 and made his Formula One racing debut in the final Grand Prix at Interlagos.
Nakajima, who raced in the GP2 Series this year, finished the Brazilian GP in 10th position and sufficiently impressed his team bosses to land the second Williams race seat, alongside Nico Rosberg.
The Williams announcement is expected to be made later today.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/63826

Does this mean additional support from Toyota for the team I wonder...

[ArrowsFA1]

Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima have been confirmed as the Williams race drivers for 2008.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/63827

[osg]

One less seat for Fernando.......... looking more and more like RBR every day for mine...

[Valve Bounce]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/63826

Does this mean additional support from Toyota for the team I wonder...


Additional or Conditional depending on which way you look at it. Either way, it is one form of pay driver, something which I tipped Frank would go for months ago.

Doubt anyone would remember I tipped Williams would go for a PAY driver for next year.

[jas123f1]

I think Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima is a quite good solution for Williams.
Especially if the team can have in that way more recourses too - Nikajima is not a bad driver.
Nico is a nice fighter so I’m think they can improve a lot – however i’m expecting more of them during next season. Good choice.

[Dzeidzei]

Good choice.

I agree. Puts Heikki in McLaren, so next season it´ll be Finland 2 - ROW 2 in the first 2 rows.

Cant wait.

[seppefan]

This is a poor choice for Williams. They need a more experienced or better driver beside Rosberg who will push him and also deliver points finishes. While I wish Nakajima well this shows Williams is not ready to fight at the front due to budgetry contraints. I am also concerned as to how many people he may punt off during the year. Hope I am wrong but seems a secondary choice.

[wedge]

Additional or Conditional depending on which way you look at it. Either way, it is one form of pay driver, something which I tipped Frank would go for months ago.

Doubt anyone would remember I tipped Williams would go for a PAY driver for next year.

Kinda ironic since Frank lost the Honda engines in the 80s partly due because he didn't want to run Nakajima's dad.

[markabilly]

money talks....

[Ant]

Wedge, good point that I was also going to bring up! Perhaps Frank learnt his lesson that day and doesnt want to lose his supply of Toyota engines even though they are customer engines.

I think this will be a good partnership, and hopefully Toyota will bring more money and resources to the team and push Williams back up to the front of the grid where they belong.

[keysersoze]

I'm disappointed, as the Williams seat seemed Gianclarlo's best opportunity, and I'm one of the few left here that would like for him to remain in the series.

Glock seems a lock for Toyota. And if Alonso goes to Renault with Piquet, with Kova moving over to McLaren, as is the latest rumor, it seems GF is done.

[markabilly]

Only a few decisions are made on talent--if they were, Ant Davidson would have had a much better seat by now--Nakajima is just a paid deal and fis just doesn't not have the bread to back him up--not a saleable commodity

Sutile may end up the same way, not enough bread behind him--should have signed with Flavio as his manager. he might be headed for renault or even Mac but he appears to be "promoterless"

[FIA]

It looks like Liuzzi as knowhere to go.

[jens]

I think Alonso was never a serious option for Williams despite rumours.

It's hard to rate Nakajima, but considering his quickness at GP2, I think he is definetely not the worst choice and I think he will definetely give more competition to Rosberg than Wurz ever managed. All in all I wish all the best to Kazuki - for some reason it has always been so that when a Japanese driver has joined F1, then he has been expected to crash a lot. I hope he will prove all those sceptics wrong, who have downplayed his chances just purely due to nationality!

[passmeatissue]

I think Alonso was never a serious option for Williams despite rumours.

It's hard to rate Nakajima, but considering his quickness at GP2, I think he is definetely not the worst choice and I think he will definetely give more competition to Rosberg than Wurz ever managed. All in all I wish all the best to Kazuki - for some reason it has always been so that when a Japanese driver has joined F1, then he has been expected to crash a lot. I hope he will prove all those sceptics wrong, who have downplayed his chances just purely due to nationality!

I agree, 5th fastest lap in his first F1 race, in the 7th/8th fastest car, is not bad.

I feel sorry for Liuzzi too, you can't say he got a fair shot at TR, but still seats possible at Force India and (if it was me) Honda.

[Garry Walker]

Doubt anyone would remember I tipped Williams would go for a PAY driver for next year.

Yeah, try to portray yourself as an hero and insider.

You in the Williams 2008 drivers thread



Actually, I see Rosberg going to McLaren to replace Alonso who will return to Flav. Ron Dennis will have to compensate Frank for Rosberg with oddles of Euros. The vacant seat so created will fall to whoever can come up with even more oodles of Euros.

You heard it from me first.

As this shows, you got the most important "insider" prediction wrong :D

Anyway, I am 50-50 with this news, as I am happy Rosberg didnt have to go to McLaren to be Golden Boys slave, but Kazuki is not good enough. But I guess money talks.


Ant Davidson would have had a much better seat by now
:rotflmao:

[Valve Bounce]

Yeah, try to portray yourself as an hero and insider.

You in the Williams 2008 drivers thread


As this shows, you got the most important "insider" prediction wrong :D

Anyway, I am 50-50 with this news, as I am happy Rosberg didnt have to go to McLaren to be Golden Boys slave, but Kazuki is not good enough. But I guess money talks.


:rotflmao:

I normally do not respond nor reply to this poster as I consider it a waste of time.
However, in this case, I just wish to say that I had predicted that the second Williams seat would go to a PAY driver, and in this case, one could classify Nakajima as a Pay driver in that he brings to Williams a continued supply of the Toyota engine, same as when Jordan got his engines from Honda when they employed Sato.

As for Rosberg going to McLaren, that was simply my own prediction as McLaren had shown great interest in Rosberg, although Williams has seemingly put a block on that. However, until the deals are done, nobody incluing myself really knows who is going where and we can only discuss this because there really is nothing else in F1 to discuss this time of the year.

I trust this clarifies things somewhat.

[aryan]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/63826

Does this mean additional support from Toyota for the team I wonder...

Rather sad..... very sad... :mad:

Frank Williams and a pay driver?! Who would have thought ... this really is the end of F1 of the old days.... where there were such thnigs as integrity... and honour.

Maybe I'm overdramatising... but I really didn't expect Sir Frank to sell out. And to do that for a Nakajima! It's a sad day in my book...

Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against the lad and wish him all the luck... but....

[wmcot]

I think Alonso was never a serious option for Williams despite rumours.


Yeah, I can't picture Patrick Head putting up with FA's temper!

[ArrowsFA1]

Maybe I'm overdramatising...
I think you might be a little ;) Williams are in a different position now to when they refused Honda's "request" to take Nakajima Snr, but bear in mind also they did lose Honda engines not long after.

Frank is onto a good thing with the Toyota partnership. With the 'works' team going nowhere (fairly slowly!) Williams are providing an attractive alternative for the manufacturer. Taking on Nakajima will help that relationship.

You have to think that Frank & Patrick may be looking towards their own retirement at some point in the next few years, and ensuring the future of their team will be one of their main concerns. It looks to me like Toyota may be that future.

[ioan]

Nakajima did well in his first ever F1 GP.

And being supported by a manufacturer /= pay driver.

MS was payed hid first ride in the 91 Jordan by Mercedes, yet he went on to become the most successful F1 driver ever.

[Ranger]

Top GP2 rookie in 2007, pretty good first F1 drive. Why not.

The Williams lineup in 2008 is probably (if not definitely) better than their '07 one, furthermore.

[SGWilko]

Nakajima did well in his first ever F1 GP.

And being supported by a manufacturer /= pay driver.

MS was payed hid first ride in the 91 Jordan by Mercedes, yet he went on to become the most successful F1 driver ever.

Agreed. :up:

Frank knows a good thing when he sees it. He keeps a hold of Nico, who is quite hot property just now. And I do not think Nakajima is slow by any means.

Besides, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth......