With just three races left to run in his rookie season, Nico Hulkenberg admits he is still yet to sign a new contract for 2011.<\/p>\n
It is believed that while Williams has secured the services of veteran Rubens Barrichello for another year, the Grove based team is looking seriously at the $15 million in sponsorship offered by Hulkenberg’s successor as GP2 champion, the Venezualan Pastor Maldonado.<\/p>\n
That would leave 23-year-old German Hulkenberg without a seat, despite arriving on the F1 grid just seven months ago with arguably a more impressive formative racing record than Lewis Hamilton.<\/p>\n
“I’m doing my job and I’m confident about what I’m doing,” he is quoted by the German-language Speed Week.<\/p>\n
“I cannot do more.\u00a0 I would like to stay with Williams because I believe next year’s car will be competitive, because I feel comfortable in the team and get along with my teammate very well.<\/p>\n
“I’m hoping for a new contract,” added Hulkenberg.<\/p>\n
But the British tabloid The Sun believes dramatically that the ‘Hulk is facing incredible axe’, with Force India’s Adrian Sutil also linked with his seat and reportedly offering $3m in backing.<\/p>\n
Another report in the Evening Standard recently said Williams’ combined losses in the past five years amount to more than $9 million, with profits falling 50 per cent last year on top of millions in debt.<\/p>\n
Williams’ minority co-owner Christian ‘Toto’ Wolff is known to be a keen Hulkenberg supporter, but he admits the team’s driver situation is presently in the air.<\/p>\n
“At the moment everything is possible — we are currently trying to get as much information as possible,” he said in an interview with motorline.cc.<\/p>\n
“Generally speaking, the team is making great progress,” added Austrian Wolff.<\/p>\n
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