Kazuki Nakajima has been given a resounding vote of confidence by his team boss Frank
Williams, following an encouraging and impressively composed debut to his
Formula 1 career in 2008.
Though the Japanese GP2 Series graduate is not strictly a rookie this year having made his maiden appearance in the top flight in place of Alex Wurz in Brazil last year he still only has nine grands prix under his belt, and has finished inside the points in three of them, notching up just one point less than more experienced and extremely highly-rated team-mate
Nico Rosberg so far this season.
Such has been his progression, indeed, Williams has tipped the man from Aichi son of 1980s Lotus and Tyrrell
F1 star Satoru Nakajima to have all the capability for a successful future in the sport, with the 23-year-old now the only Japanese driver left in the uppermost echelon after
Takuma Sato lost his place in the wake of
Super Aguri's demise.
Kazuki is very intelligent [and] never panics, international news agency
Reuters quotes Williams as having told reporters at Magny-Cours at the weekend. He has a bit to learn about his driving and he knows it, [but] he exercises his mind about [it] to make himself better, perhaps more than anyone I have seen for a very long time.
Should Nakajima prove able to polish off those rough edges the like of which saw him handed a grid penalty for the Malaysian Grand Prix after accidentally turfing erstwhile world championship leader
Robert Kubica off the road in Melbourne back at the start of the campaign Williams is confident that his future will be assured.
Even if he did earn his seat at the Grove-based concern as part of the
Toyota engine deal being a member of the Japanese manufacturer's young driver programme Williams insisted Nakajima had more than justified his signing, and would likely remain at one of the two Toyota-powered teams next year, though he did not stipulate which.
