Rubens Barrichello says he has not given up on securing a racing seat at Williams for 2012, despite the delay to confirm its lineup.
The team is reportedly in talks with Kimi Raikkonen, while also waiting to see how third driver Valtteri Bottas performs in the Abu Dhabi test for young drivers next week. Barrichello believes a lot of what has been said about other drivers in talks with the team is speculation, and he believes he still has a chance to secure the seat.
"I think there's a lot of talk. I believe they are talking the truth to me and the truth is that the rumors are much bigger than the reality," Barrichello told reporters in Abu Dhabi. "If I really believed the rumors back in 2008, Bruno Senna would have signed with Brawn. So I just have to wait and believe and when I have conversations with the team they seem to be saying the right thing for me and I just have to wait."
He also downplayed talk of the team bringing Raikkonen back to F1. "To be honest, I never talked to Kimi, not even when he was racing. So I believe he'd had very little talks with the team," he said.
The Brazilian says he will not go to the season finale in Brazil thinking it is his final race in F1, despite not having secured a deal for 2012.
"It's a tough one still. It's just calling and just waiting for people to call," he said. "The only thing I have in mind is the year I want to have ahead. I'm just thinking like in 2008, staying positive.
"I may go to the Brazilian Grand Prix without any confirmation, without anything, but I'm not saying goodbye to my fans. I want to be there next year and I'm taking the risk."
He added: "Ideally I would have signed a five-year contract in July. That was ideal. Having said that, Formula 1 has become a business and I think situations have been considered by the team and we have to wait and see. The team has me very motivated and I'm just waiting for an answer. If God wishes, I will be on the grid for the 20th year.
"It's a nice situation to be talking to competitive teams and if I were in my first or second year, I would be very worried, but it's been such a long time and I think life is too good for me to go moaning and say why they haven't signed me yet. I'm just concentrating on the positives."