Williams’ Sam Michael has rubbished speculation that the Grove based team might lose Nico Rosberg to a rival team ahead of the 2008 season.
Rosberg, who turns twenty-two on Wednesday, has impressed so much during his second season on the grid in 2007 that rumours have singled him out as a possible replacement for Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen next year.
According to the paddock gossip, Raikkonen could then wind up at Williams as contractual ‘compensation’ for the team led by Sir Frank Williams.
But in the German specialist magazine Auto Motor und Sport, technical director Michael is quoted as slamming the speculation as “absolute stupidity”.
Backing Sam Michael’s dismissal of the paddock theory, Auto Motor und Sport insists that German-born Rosberg is already tied to Williams on a binding contract for 2008.
Additionally, Raikkonen is understood to have a team performance clause in his Ferrari deal, meaning that he might possibly be free to leave the Maranello based team anyway at the end of the year and then be able to select the alternate team of his choice.
