One snippet of Formula 1 gossip which escaped my attention in the pre-Christmas frenzy was the report that Bruno Senna visited the Williams team's factory at Grove, with a view to discussing possibilities for the 2012 season.
It had been generally assumed in F1 circles that Adrian Sutil was the firm favourite for the second seat in Sir Frank's team, having been linked with the drive towards the end of the 2011 season. However, the situation now seems a good deal more fluid, with Senna's overtures, and renewed efforts by Rubens Barrichello to maintain his presence in Grand Prix racing.
Looking at all this from a purely driving perspective, the range of options would appear, from the Williams perspective, to be quite enviable, but in reality they are less than inspiring.
Senna has relative youth and enthusiasm, and did show flashes of promise in his 2011 outings, but lacks experience. Barrichello represents continuity, unparalleled experience and a proven track record. There have been doubts about his motivation, but maybe the widespread presumption that his F1 days are over has stung him into renewed vigour? Sutil would, on the surface, seem to combine some of the elements presented by both of the the other two candidates. Solid experience, unrealised and untapped potential, and something still to prove.
Not to be forgotten in all of this is the presence of Pastor Maldonado in the team. Maldonado's performances have not been totally convincing, and part of Willliams' thinking on the second driver must surely reflect this. This would presumably count against Senna.
Of course, all this analysis has so far disregarded the issue of sponsorship. Reports suggest that the three candidates all have access to funds of some description. The ultimate choice of driver may tell us much about the state of the Williams team's finances, and whether their "racers" ethos still remains intact....
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