Testing times for Nico
Nico Hülkenberg welcomed the "amazing news" after being named as test driver for the RBS-sponsored AT&T Williams team for the 2008 season.
Nico Hülkenberg welcomed the "amazing news" after being named as test driver for the RBS-sponsored AT&T Williams team for the 2008 season.
The 20-year-old German impressed team bosses during two days of testing in Jerez.
And when former test driver Kazuki Nakajima was promoted to fill one of the two first-team driver's seats following Alex Wurz's retirement, Hülkenberg was the natural replacement.
"Nico has been through the rigours of our driver assessment programme and on the evidence we have so far, he is a quick and capable driver," said Williams Technical Director Sam Michael.
Hülkenberg conducted himself with maturity, and performed well during 425km of development work.
However, the former German kart champion was already well known to the AT&T Williams team. In the past three seasons, he has competed in the German Formula BMW Championship, German F3, A1 GP and the Formula 3 Euroseries. In all, he claimed 25 wins and 14 pole positions in 68 starts.
He said: "When I actually got out on track in the FW29 car, it fulfilled every expectation and more.
"So to have represented myself sufficiently well to have been appointed as the team's official test driver is the most amazing news".
