Williams confirms Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado for 2013
Valtteri Bottas will race alongside Pastor Maldonado at the Williams team during the 2013 Formula 1 season, the British squad confirmed on Wednesday

The Finn was widely expected to land the racing drive after acting as Williams's third driver during the 2012 season, replacing Bruno Senna in opening practice for 15 of the 20 grands prix.
The 23-year-old from Nastola won the GP3 championship in 2011 and spent this year testing for Williams. He told AUTOSPORT earlier this week that he "needed" to go back to racing next year.
Bottas, who was signed by Williams in 2010, admitted on Wednesday that racing in Formula 1 will be a dream come true for him.
"It has always been my life-long dream to compete in the Formula 1 world championship," he said.
"To do so with one of the most legendary teams in the sport is incredibly special. I've really enjoyed my three years with Williams so far and feel very at home here so my goal was always to stay for 2013 and progress to a race seat."
Team boss Frank Williams said he was extremely excited about his line-up for the 2013 season.
"In Pastor and Valtteri we have two of the most exciting talents in motor racing and I'm especially excited about what 2013 can bring for Williams," he said.
"Pastor has always demonstrated remarkable pace and this year has seen him mature as a racing driver.
"Valtteri is quite simply one of the most talented young racing drivers I have come across and we expects great things from him in the future."
Williams also thanked Senna for his work at the team during the 2012 season. The Brazilian's future in F1 remains uncertain, with very few racing seats available.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our departing driver Bruno Senna for his hard work over the past year and wish him the best of luck going forward," Williams said.
AUTOSPORT Says
F1 editor Edd Straw
Signing Valtteri Bottas is a genuine statement of intent by Williams. Having run him extensively over the past 12 months, Williams has no doubt of the very real potential that the Finn has to emerge as a top-line driver.
That this is regarded as more important to the team than retaining Bruno Senna, whose presence in the squad is reckoned to be worth around $14 million but who didn't do himself or the car justice with his performances in 2012, tells you everything you need to know about the ambition of the team.
Yes, the Finn is a rookie. While he has 15 free practice sessions under his belt, not to mention almost 2800kms of testing, the step from F3/GP3 level straight into F1 is a big one. But all of the evidence suggests that he's a driver with the ability to make the stride effectively.
Some within the team reckon that Bottas is fundamentally the quickest of this year's three drivers. That's saying something considering Pastor Maldonado's mercurial qualifying performances.
He's also a level-headed driver with the right level of intensity to combine speed with an intelligent approach, which, if the car is as good as Williams's recent progress suggests, could be potent.
Expect this move to pay off big-time for Williams over the next few years. Everything AUTOSPORT has seen of Bottas suggests that it will.
As for Senna, it's important not to underestimate the disadvantage he had of missing 28 per cent of the available free practice running this season. He's likely to be on the grid elsewhere in 2013 and if he can cut out the errors, he can still emerge as a reliable performer at this level, even if he doesn't share Bottas's ultimate potential.
2013 Formula 1 line-up so far Red Bull-Renault Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber Ferrari Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa McLaren-Mercedes Jenson Button Sergio Perez Lotus-Renault Kimi Raikkonen Romain Grosjean * Mercedes Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg Sauber-Ferrari Nico Hulkenberg Esteban Gutierrez Force India-Mercedes Paul di Resta drive available Williams-Renault Pastor Maldonado Valtteri Bottas Toro Rosso-Ferrari Daniel Ricciardo Jean-Eric Vergne Caterham-Renault Charles Pic drive available Marussia-Cosworth Timo Glock Max Chilton * HRT-Cosworth** Pedro de la Rosa drive available * Drive not yet officially confirmed ** HRT team's future unclear

Previous article
How Vettel rescued his title bid
Next article
Bruno Senna anticipated Valtteri Bottas would replace him at Williams

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Valtteri Bottas , Pastor Maldonado |
Teams | Williams |
Author | Pablo Elizalde |
Williams confirms Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado for 2013
Trending
Starting Grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
How 2021's midfielders have taken lessons from F1's top teams
Formula 1’s latest Imola adventure turned into an expensive trip for many teams due to several crashes throughout the weekend. While balancing the books is an added factor in 2021 with the cost cap, a few midfield teams have cashed in early on development investments
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Driver Ratings
A frantic wet race at Imola produced plenty of excitement and drama as drivers scrabbled for grip. Amid the hatful of mistakes and incidents that ensued, who kept their noses cleanest?
How the Emilia Romagna GP result hinged on three crucial saves
Rain before the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix promised to spice up the action, and the race certainly delivered on that. Max Verstappen got the best launch to win from Lewis Hamilton, but both got away with mistakes that could have had serious consequences
The back-bedroom world-beater that began a new F1 era
The first in a line of world beaters was designed in a back bedroom and then constructed in a shed. STUART CODLING recalls the Tyrrell 001
The clues Hamilton’s F1 contract afterthought gives to his future
The Formula 1 world reacted with surprise when it learned Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited new Mercedes deal guarantees his presence on the grid only until the end of 2021. Both parties claimed publicly they were happy with the arrangement but, asks MARK GALLAGHER, is there more to it than that?
How a harshly ejected Red Bull star has been hooked by racing again
Driver-turned-DJ Jaime Alguersuari lost his love for motorsport when he was booted out of Formula 1 just as he was starting to polish his rough edges. Having drifted from category to category then turned his back on racing altogether in 2015, he’s come full circle and is planning a return in karts for fun
Why Mercedes isn't confident it's really ahead of Red Bull at Imola
While Mercedes struck back against Red Bull by topping the times at Imola on Friday ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the overall picture remains incredibly close. Despite having a possible edge this weekend, the reigning Formula 1 world champion squad is not taking anything for granted...
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well-aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead on pace. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping