WilliamsF1 Test drive for Nico Rosberg

By Andrew Hooper
October 7 2002

	Nico Rosberg to test for WilliamsF1
	At the season's final event of the Formula BMW ADAC Championship at Hockenheim, BMW had a very special present lined up for the new Formula BMW ADAC champion Nico Rosberg. The 17-year-old from Finland was invited to take the FW24 of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team out on a test drive. "It's not that every winner of the Formula BMW ADAC Championship is automatically offered a test drive," commented BMW Motorsport Director Gerhard Berger, "but in special cases we like to give exceptionally talented drivers a taster of the world of Formula One. Nico has potential, and he should have the opportunity to drive a Formula One car without being under any pressure." It has not yet been decided when Rosberg gets to test the car with the BMW WilliamsF1 Team. As Berger explained, "There's a ban on Formula One testing for the next few weeks. Once that's over we'll find a slot for Nico." The entire Rosberg family were delighted at this unexpected gift. Nico himself had tears in his eyes and could hardly believe his luck: "This is the most incredible present I've ever received. I'm over the moon." His father, Keke, used to be a Formula One driver for WilliamsF1 himself. In 1982 he became the first Finnish driver to win a Formula One world championship title. "His name may be Rosberg, but Nico has got to hit the throttle himself," said a very proud father after Guido Stalmann, Director of Sponsoring and Business Relations at BMW Motorsport, had announced the glad tidings in the presence of ADAC sports president Hermann Tomczyk. The three rookie winners of the series were also celebrating at this concluding event of the Formula BMW ADAC Championship. Maximilian Götz (ADAC Nordbayern), Christian Bakkerud (VIVA Racing) and Philipp Wlazik (Weigl Motorsport) pledged that they would be competing in the 2003 Formula BMW ADAC Championship as well. The long-term collaboration between partners ADAC and BMW, furthermore, was confirmed. "We will be working together for at least another three years," said ADAC sports president Tomczyk.