He may have failed to🌠 make it onto the podium during the 2009 campaign, but it still proved💦 to be the best season to date in F1 for Nico Rosberg in what became his swansong with the Williams team.

The young German driver started his season with a solid points finish in Australia and managed to survive the carnage of Malaysia to take half a point when the race was ended early due to poor weather co🐓nditions.

Having suffered two failure to scores, Rosberg then started a run of top eight finishes which saw him score points in eight su🌠ccessive races - including a fine run from 15th on the grid to finish fourth in his home race at the Nurburgring.

With Williams struggling with the high-speed nature of the Monza circuit, Rosberg failed to score for the only time on European soil in the Italian Grand 🤪Prix but was back on form in Singapore - where he secured his best qualifying performance of the year with third on the grid. However, a penalty for crossing the white line exiting the pits ruined his race and stopped Rosberg battling for his maiden F1 win.

The Japan🥂ese Grand Prix would see Rosberg score for the final time in 2009 but his performances over the course of the year were more than enough to secu🦂re a race seat for Mercedes for 2010 - where he could be partnered by none other than Michael Schumacher.

Rosberg scored every point for Williams in 2009 and seventh in the♒ standings surpassed his previous best of ninth - set in 2007. A total of 34.5 points also marked a personal best and saw you vote him ꧃eighth in your vote to name the top F1 driver of the year.

Statistics:

Championship finish: 7th

Starts: 17

Victories: 0

Pole positions: 0

Fastest laps: 1

Podiums: 0

Points: 34.5

Points finishes: 11

Top ten grid positions: 15