Nico Rosberg has announced that he will be leaving Williams at the end of this season, paving the way for a possible move to Brawn GP.
Although the 24-year-old would not confirm which team he would be joining next year, Rosberg confirmed that this weekend’s Grand Prix at Abu Dhabi would be his final appearance for the Grove squad.
“It is my last race for Williams,”he told reporters ahead of the inaugural event in the United Arab Emirates. “And that is it really. It is a bit strange because for four or five years it is the only team I have worked with, so it has been a long time.
“I get on with everybody really well, obviously, and a lot of respect has built up – with the mechanics and everyone. So it will be quite strange to leave.
“I can also use this opportunity to thank the team, because all in all I think they have done, for my career, a lot of good. Especially Sir Frank [Williams], Adam Parr, Sam Michael and Patrick [Head], they supported my career all these years. So it is a big thank you to them.”
It is believed that Rosberg has already signed a contract with Mercedes, which would see the German move to either McLaren or Brawn GP. However it is believed that the car-giant would prefer Rosberg alongside the newly-crowned World champion, Jenson Button, with reports suggesting that Mercedes will invest in Brawn.
The son of the 1982 World Champion has previously expressed his desire to be in a winning car for the 2010 campaign, claiming that he would have no qualms teaming up with the likes of Lewis Hamilton.
