'I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH BRAWN'

+ Click to Enlarge HAUG'S CHOICE? McLaren-Mercedes director Norbert Haug said back in September that the team is negotiating with Nico Rosberg for a possible McLaren drive in 2010. Image: AFP

November 24, 2009

German driver Nico Rosberg has confirmed he will race for the new Mercedes Grand Prix Formula 1 team in 2010.

The 24-year-old, son of former World champion Keke Rosberg of Finland, raced for Williams from 2006 through 2009 but announced he would leave the British team after the 2009 Abu Dhabi GP in which he finished ninth.

"I'm very pleased that I'll be in a Mercedes' cockpit for the start of the 2010 GP," Rosberg said. "No other brand in F1 has such a long and successful tradition.

"I'm very proud that I will race for the new team from the start and look forward to working with Ross Brawn."

He was seventh in the 2009 World Drivers' championship and his best result was second in the Singapore GP of 2008.

Rosberg had F1 racing debut in Bahrain in 2006 but has never won a race. - a second and a third are his best results in 70 starts in four years of racing.

Head of Mercedes Norbert Haug said: "The we will restart in F1 with such a talented and pleasant driver is great news for us.

"Nico is very ambitious, and so are we. I'm looking forward to working with him."

Mercedes's team boss Ross Brawn, who masterminded all of Michael Schumacher's seven World titles, said he was delighted to have Rosberg on board.

"After his four years in F1, I'd count Nico Rosberg as an experienced driver," Brawn told German newspaper Bild.

Brawn said he was not in a hurry to complete the team's line-up after World champion Jenson Button's defection to McLaren, but Nick Heidfeld was a possible. - AFP