Brazilian Bruno Senna will partner Pastor Maldonado for Williams this season after being preferred to veteran Rubens Barrichello.
Nephew of Ayrton to join UK-based team for 2012
Brazilian Bruno Senna will partner Pastor Maldonado for Williams this season after being preferred to veteran Rubens Barrichello.
Senna, whose uncle Ayrton died while racing for Williams in 1994, will start testing for the team in Jerez on February 9.
It means countryman and family friend Barrichello is without a seat after 19 consecutive years in Formula One.
"It will be very interesting to drive for a team that my uncle has driven for, particularly as quite a few of the people here actually worked with Ayrton," said Senna, who took part in eight races last season for Renault.
"Hopefully we can bring back some memories and create some great new ones too.
"I also want to get some good results in return for the support my country has given me to help get me to this position today. I am very proud to be Brazilian and more motivated than ever to demonstrate what I can do."
Essential
Senna, who debuted for HRT in 2010, visited the team's Grove factory last month where he was put through his paces.
"The circumstances of Bruno's two seasons in Formula One have not given him an ideal opportunity to deliver consistently so it was essential that we spent as much time with him as possible to understand and evaluate him as a driver," said team principal Frank Williams.
"We have done this both on track and in our simulator and he has proven quick, technically insightful and above all capable of learning and applying his learning quickly and consistently," he added.
"Now we are looking forward to seeing that talent in our race car."
Senna's appointment leaves just one declared vacancy for 2012, alongside Spanish veteran Pedro de la Rosa at HRT. It also means Brazil will have two drivers on the grid next season, with Ferrari's Felipe Massa the other.
