Williams Martini
Racing confirmed that the partnership of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas
will be retained for a third season in the 2016 FIA Formula One World
Championship.
Felipe joined the team for the 2014 season and has so far scored one pole
position, at the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix, and four podium finishes. His
experience of more than a decade at the pinnacle of Formula One is a
valuable asset to the team.
Valtteri is one of the sport’s most promising talents, with seven podiums to
his name in the last two seasons. He has developed as a driver at Williams
from being a future prospect, through our development programme, to now
being one of the most sought-after drivers on the Formula One grid.
Speaking about the announcement Felipe Massa said; “I am very happy to be a
part of the Williams family. I am in my second year here and am so pleased
to be staying as we are working very well together as a team. They respect
me a lot and the results are there, and it has been so nice to be part of
the big turnaround the team has seen since the end of 2013. I can’t wait to
carry on and continue pushing even more for the team, and for myself. Thank
you to Frank, Claire, Mike, Pat and the whole Williams team for their
ongoing support and belief in me, as we build on what is already a great
relationship.”
Valtteri Bottas added; “I am really pleased to be staying with the team for
a fourth F1 race season. We have been getting stronger as a team and I look
forward to what next year will bring, as I believe we can achieve even
stronger results than what we have seen so far. I can’t wait for 2016,
however I am still fully focused on this season as we still have plenty of
challenges to achieve. I must thank Frank, Claire, Mike, the Board, and
everyone at Williams for their continued trust in me.”
Sir Frank Williams, Founder and Team Principal, said; “I’m delighted to
confirm that Felipe and Valtteri will be racing for Williams once again next
year. Stability is key for any team to thrive in Formula One, so to be able
to enter a third season with one of the strongest driver line-ups on the
grid puts Williams in a fantastic position to continue its momentum towards
the front of the grid in 2016.
Felipe’s blend of experience and raw speed is a rare attribute in Formula
One. Felipe thrives in an environment where he is valued and can build a
long-term relationship and we are delighted that he has become such an
important part of the Williams family.
Valtteri has become such a staple of Williams that we are as excited about
the prospect of his potential as a championship contender as we are about
returning the Williams name to the top of Formula One.
Felipe and Valtteri quickly developed an exceptional working relationship
from the beginning of 2014 and, while they remain fiercely competitive as
rivals, they have always recognised the value of their collaboration in
driving the team up the grid. Their shared work has given the technical team
at Williams the best possible guidance in how to deliver the performance
needed to carry the team forward, and both drivers have played a pivotal
role in the rejuvenation of Williams.
The successes we’ve enjoyed over the past two seasons would not have been
possible without them, and they will play an essential role in the targets
we aim to deliver in the future.” |