25/10/2010
NEWS STORY
Williams co-owner Patrick Head has admitted that money will be a factor when it comes to choosing who will partner Rubens Barrichello next season.
While the Brazilian veteran enjoys a Riccardo Patrese style Indian Summer in terms of his career, teammate Nico Hulkenberg's season has been somewhat hit and miss. The German youngster trails his teammate by 29 points in the drivers' championship and has been out-qualified by the Brazilian no less than twelve times.
While it was widely assumed that Williams would give the youngster a second year in which to prove himself, in recent weeks GP2 champion Pastor Maldonado's name has entered the frame.
Furthermore, while Hulkenberg doesn't bring funding to the English team, Maldonado receives support from Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA.
Asked about the situation at the weekend, Patrick Head suggested that journalists question Adam Parr, the Grove outfit's chief executive. However, Parr was not in Korea so when pressed further and asked outright if money will be a deciding factor, Head said: Those are things which we will weigh up.
"It's terrible to hide behind a board," he continued, "but these things will be debated, and are being debated, in the Williams board. And at the moment we are not in a position where we are making any final decisions. I know it sounds very superior to say so, but when we are ready we will be saying what we are doing."
Hulkenberg, who finished tenth in yesterday's race having made a late pitstop for a fresh set of intermediate tyres, was saying little at the weekend other than that he remains hopeful that he will retain his seat.