LEAD: Bruno Senna in Ayrton's footsteps with Williams contract

Jan 17, 2012, 13:30 GMT

London - Bruno Senna will race for Williams in the 2012 Formula One season, replacing fellow-Brazilian Rubens Barrichello at the British team his uncle Ayrton Senna also raced for and crashed to his death 18 years ago.

The Williams team made in announcement in a statement on Tuesday and also said that Pastor Maldonado of Venezuela stays on as the other second driver for a second season.

'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. Hopefully we can bring back some memories and create some great new ones too,' said Bruno Senna in the statement.

Senna, 28, has so far had a season and a half in F1 at HRT in 2010 and Renault last season.

His famous uncle Ayrton won three world titles with Mclaren but died during his first season at Williams in a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.

Williams boast seven drivers titles but the last one dates back 15 years to Jacques Villeneuve's success in 1997. They finished the last season with a mere five points in a worst-ever ninth-place showing.

However Senna and team boss Frank Williams are upbeat that the tide will turn again.

'Bruno only started racing when he was 20 years old but quickly proved his talent in F3 and GP2 ... The circumstances of Bruno's two seasons in Formula One have not given him an ideal opportunity to deliver consistently,' said Frank Williams.

'It was essential that we spent as much time with him as possible to understand and evaluate him as a driver. 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. Now we are looking forward to seeing that talent in our race car.'

Senna said: 'I feel very privileged that Williams has selected me as one of their race drivers. The team has a great heritage and I hope I can help write a good chapter in their history.

'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.'

Senna will have his first official drive when pre-season testing starts in early February for the season kicking off in Australia on March 18.

Williams' signing of Senna all but completed the 2012 driver lineup, with only one vacancy at backbenchers HRT yet to be filled.

But Tuesday's announcement appeared to mark the end of Barrichello's career after 19 years - he started in 1993 with Ayrton Senna as mentor - an F1 record 322 Grands Prix starts, 11 race wins and two world championship runner-up finishes for Ferrari.

'I won't be driving the Williams car this year. I wish my friend @BSenna all the best..the future is wide open,' Barrichello said on his Twitter page.

Read more about Williams