Pizzonia to Race for the Rest of the Season

Sources have told Autosport-Atlas that the team have decided to keep Pizzonia on board for the Japanese and Chinese Grands Prix, despite Nick Heidfeld having  recovered from the injuries he suffered in a bicycle accident earlier this month.

The news is expected to be officially confirmed by Williams on Wednesday morning.

Although there has been speculation that test driver Nico Rosberg could be slotted into the team for the final races of the year, the fact that the two events take place on new tracks to the German have effectively ruled out that possibility.

Williams are not yet completely assured of their fifth place in the Constructors' Championship, despite holding a fairly comfortable 26 points advantage over BAR, which has meant it vital to keep on board a driver with Pizzonia's experience.

Heidfeld had hoped to return to the cockpit for the final two races of the season but would have needed to have been fit for testing at Jerez this week if he was to have any chance of getting the nod for Japan. That has not happened.

And with the final race of the season in China taking place just one week after Japan, there was little point in swapping Pizzonia over.

It means that Heidfeld has driven in Turkey his final race for Williams, with the German having already signed a contract to drive for the new BMW team in 2006.