From GMM
Rubens Barrichello has revealed he hopes to stay with the Williams team in 2011.
His comments, in a Portuguese interview with the news agency Reuters, follow reports that the veteran Brazilian could be replaced next year by the Venezuelan pay-driver Pastor Maldonado.
Pastor Maldonado carries a reported US $15 million in the sponsorship of state-owned petroleum company PDVSA, and the latest rumour is that Williams has not yet decided whether Hulkenberg or Barrichello is the most likely to potentially make room for the 25-year-old.
The reason is Williams' sponsor situation, with RBS departing at the end of the year. It has also been reported that Philips, AirAsia and McGregor could also leave the Grove-based team.
Previously, it was believed that Barrichello's rookie German teammate Nico Hulkenberg was the most likely to make way should the Oxfordshire based team decide to sign 25-year-old Maldonado and his sponsor.
The rumour about 39-year-old Barrichello was triggered when Patrick Head, Williams' engineering boss and the team's second biggest shareholder, said Nico Hulkenberg had done enough in 2010 to justify his seat. "I think Nico has done enough, both before he entered F1 and since being in F1, to support the view that he is a justified driver," said the Briton in Korea last weekend.
"I've done a good job this year and I'm focused on the car for next year, so I'm hoping to stay," the Portuguese language report quoted Rubens Barrichello, 39, as saying.
Currently in his native Sao Paulo ahead of the Brazilian grand prix next weekend, Barrichello also revealed that he is not in talks with any other F1 teams.
Last month, the Brazilian said he was "100 per cent" sure he will be driving for Williams in 2011 even though the deal had not been confirmed on paper. But when asked on Thursday if a deal is in place, Barrichello said: "That's something you will have to ask Williams."
And when discussing taking part in his 18th home grand prix next weekend, he added: "Our car is getting better and all I can hope for is a positive weekend. The start of the season was not so good, we thought we had a good car but it was hard for us to be in the top ten. But the rapport with the team was very good and we managed to improve."
Globo also quotes him as saying: "I've been working on the car for next year. There are things arising from the regulations that we are only going to find out later, but the design is bold and 2011 is going to be better than this one."
Rubens Barrichello has revealed he hopes to stay with the Williams team in 2011.
His comments, in a Portuguese interview with the news agency Reuters, follow reports that the veteran Brazilian could be replaced next year by the Venezuelan pay-driver Pastor Maldonado.
Pastor Maldonado carries a reported US $15 million in the sponsorship of state-owned petroleum company PDVSA, and the latest rumour is that Williams has not yet decided whether Hulkenberg or Barrichello is the most likely to potentially make room for the 25-year-old.
The reason is Williams' sponsor situation, with RBS departing at the end of the year. It has also been reported that Philips, AirAsia and McGregor could also leave the Grove-based team.
Previously, it was believed that Barrichello's rookie German teammate Nico Hulkenberg was the most likely to make way should the Oxfordshire based team decide to sign 25-year-old Maldonado and his sponsor.
The rumour about 39-year-old Barrichello was triggered when Patrick Head, Williams' engineering boss and the team's second biggest shareholder, said Nico Hulkenberg had done enough in 2010 to justify his seat. "I think Nico has done enough, both before he entered F1 and since being in F1, to support the view that he is a justified driver," said the Briton in Korea last weekend.
"I've done a good job this year and I'm focused on the car for next year, so I'm hoping to stay," the Portuguese language report quoted Rubens Barrichello, 39, as saying.
Currently in his native Sao Paulo ahead of the Brazilian grand prix next weekend, Barrichello also revealed that he is not in talks with any other F1 teams.
Last month, the Brazilian said he was "100 per cent" sure he will be driving for Williams in 2011 even though the deal had not been confirmed on paper. But when asked on Thursday if a deal is in place, Barrichello said: "That's something you will have to ask Williams."
And when discussing taking part in his 18th home grand prix next weekend, he added: "Our car is getting better and all I can hope for is a positive weekend. The start of the season was not so good, we thought we had a good car but it was hard for us to be in the top ten. But the rapport with the team was very good and we managed to improve."
Globo also quotes him as saying: "I've been working on the car for next year. There are things arising from the regulations that we are only going to find out later, but the design is bold and 2011 is going to be better than this one."