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Williams confirm Rob Smedley won't join Massa

Fans have seen the end of the Rob Smedley/Felipe Massa radio era after Williams confirmed the Brazilian's new race engineer on Wednesday.
Massa and the Middlesbrough-born Smedley formed one of the closest relationships on the F1 grid between driver and engineer at Ferrari with Smedley almost a father figure to the 32-year-old.
There was hope and expectation that Smedley would join Massa in the Williams garage but Pastor Maldonado's former engineer Andrew Murdoch will instead be on the pit wall.
As for Smedley his ten years at Ferrari are also over as he has reportedly accepted an engineering role within Williams that holds a greater responsibility.
As one relationship ends, others are being formed within the Grove team as Massa's new team-mate Valtteri Bottas admits he is enjoying getting to know the man from Sao Paulo.
"I get on very well with Felipe," the Finn is quoted by motorsport.com. "He's a very nice guy and a great driver."
Meanwhile another Brazilian is targeting the team as a possible reserve as Felipe Nasr looks to claim some sort of F1 role after failing to make the step up from GP2.
"Unfortunately it (finding a race seat) did not work for financial reasons and due to my little experience," said Nasr, who finished last year's GP2 championship in fourth place.
"So the plan now is to try to be third driver in a middle team."
Indeed the highly rated Brazilian said a place at Williams, working alongside his countryman Massa, would be "positive".
"With another Brazilian there I think it would make the exchange of information easier, so it is something that could happen. It is open," Nasr admitted.

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