Wednesday November 3rd, 1999

The Williams team and its driver, Alex Zanardi, are set to have a crucial meeting to assert whether the Italian ex-CART champion will continue to drive for the team. Zanardi ended the 1999 season with no points to his name in the World Championship, a stark contrast to his younger teammate, Ralf Schumacher, who finished 6th. Williams lost fourth place in the Constructors' Championship by a mere two points to Stewart-Ford, and in a team that is renowned for caring about the makers' title more than the drivers', this has come as a significant blow, with fingers pointed in the direction of Zanardi.

The team's chief technician, Patrick Head, admitted today that Williams are worried about Zanardi's lacklustre performance, saying: "We must discuss with him whether 1999 should be considered as an example or an aberration. We don't want to spend next year as a one-car team."

Zanardi too confirmed that talks between him and the team are expected soon, saying: "Before I come back next year, it will be necessary to sit down and discuss some things. I thought I'd found an impeccable team, but unfortunately it hasn't been like that. I'm not too proud of the job I've done, but I would like to continue because with BMW coming in it will be a new adventure. I hope I'll be back, but in life and F1 you can never be sure."

BMW-Williams are set to launch their 2000 car on January 12th, but tests are scheduled to begin in four weeks' time. Should Zanardi and Williams decide to depart, speculations have anyone between Olivier Panis, Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Montoya lined up to replace him.