Germany’s Nico Rosberg will race for Mercedes next season, the team that won the Formula One championship as Brawn this year said yesterday.
Rosberg has spent the last four years competing for Williams. Yet to win a race in 70 starts, the 24-year-old son of Finland’s 1982 champion Keke finished seventh overall this season.
Mercedes took over the team last week.
Brawn, who emerged from the remains of the Honda team, won both titles in their debut season but Britain’s world champion Jenson Button has joined McLaren while Brazilian Rubens Barrichello has taken Rosberg’s place at Williams.
“I am really happy to be a part of the Silver Arrows re-launch in 2010 as a driver for Mercedes,” Rosberg said in a statement.
“I am more motivated than ever and can hardly wait to start testing with the new Silver Arrow and for the first race of the new season at Bahrain on 14 March,” the German said.
Team principal Ross Brawn added: “Nico is a great talent and with four years of experience in Formula One is a driver who will be able to make a valuable contribution to our team right from the outset.”
“I had the pleasure of working with his father Keke during his Formula One career and it is great to see Nico following in his footsteps,” he said.
Mercedes have yet to name their second driver, amid speculation that Michael Schumacher could be tempted out of retirement.
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