Mercedes GP have announced that Nick Heidfeld will be their test and reserve driver in 2010. It was
The 32-year-old German Heidfeld has participated in every F1 season from his debut in 2000, and has amassed 219 career points, and 12 podiums, but unfortunately has never won a Grand Prix.
“I am very pleased to be joining the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team. It’s the team which has attracted the most interest in the close season, not only because of the comeback of Michael Schumacher, but also because this season sees the return of the Silver Arrows cars as a Mercedes-Benz works team for the first time in over fifty years. Whilst I would of course have preferred a seat as an active driver, I am really proud to be part of the new Silver Arrows team. I have seen how committed everyone at the team is and I feel the same. I will be doing my very best to support Michael and Nico this year.”
Nick Heidfeld
Mercedes GP team principal Ross Brawn said:
“It’s a great pleasure for us to have signed a driver of the calibre and experience of Nick Heidfeld as our Reserve Race Driver and Test Driver for the 2010 season. Nick has over ten years of experience in Formula One working with established teams and he will be a great asset to MERCEDES GP PETRONAS. I am confident that his input into the development of our MGP W01 car will be invaluable. We look forward to welcoming Nick to MERCEDES GP PETRONAS and working closely with him.”
Ross Brawn
The head of Mercedes motorsport, Norbert Haug added:
“To sign Nick Heidfeld as Reserve Race Driver and Test Driver for MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team means another re-enforcement for our team. We have known each other for many years and Nick was supported by our junior drivers programme from 1997. During his 10 years in Formula One, circumstances often made it difficult for him to achieve his breakthrough. However Nick is extremely capable, he will be an asset to our team and he will show this.”
Norbert Haug
Image (C) LAT
I really don’t mean to be lazy but I am lol I posted a long comment on f1f and my opinion hasn’t changed at all so here it is.
This isn’t surprising but I think it is a shame.
I couldn’t see Nick at a new team; he’s never been very warm about them and previously said he wasn’t even looking at them. It would mean he would have to swallow his pride if he did sign for them and also be a sort of self demotion, he clearly feels he can do better than a new team.
Sauber was supposed to be the best bet but it felt like he wasn’t top of the list. It was more that assumptions were made that because he raced for BMW Sauber last year he would again this year but there was never much movement on that front.
He took a gamble and wanted the big drive with Merc. I wonder if he ever really believed in Schumi’s return. If he didn’t (which wouldn’t be surprising) then the gamble didn’t pay off but if he did maybe it was his plan all along and Renault was never a serious option.
I can’t really blame him for going for a third driver role with Merc. Schumi is a driving master but he’s 41, retired once and the FIA may have given him the all clear with his neck but doubts will still linger. A three year contract is quite a long one and it looks like the grid will be extremely competitive so Michael could get frustrated. It’s a long shot but it is a shot. Nick clearly wants a go at a big team after so long in F1 and settling for a smaller team would confirm his career is in decline, Renault are unsteady and have a bad few years so maybe this was worth the risk.
The other point of interest is Renault. Nick and the team were linked for a while so who turned their backs on a potential deal first? Petrov’s money would certainly be a factor and he would be a breath of fresh airn for the team. But Renault have gone through a tough time so maybe experience and someone to really push Kubica would have been very appealing also.
This will influence how we rate Kubica too. I think Petrov will be good but with limited testing and him being a rookie he has a job on his hand coming close to Kubica. It could end up like the Williams 09 situation-we knew Rosberg was good because Nakajima really struggled but because Nico was never pushed we never knew if he got everything out the car he could so he always looked good but it was hard to tell how good he really was.
I liked Nick I thought he was hugely underrated although he does seem to have a lot of fans on this site. He pushed Kubica hard and I know he won the team mate battle overall but Kubica was a rookie when he was first against Heidfeld. What really impressed me was after 08 Kubica was the one who won the most respect out of all the grid (despite a mistake at Bahrain and Nick letting him through at Canada) because he kept fighting on despite BMW’s development freeze. Maybe a bit of it was heightened sympathy for Kubica’s plight but he was the rated star coming into 09 and had experience but Heidfeld beat him. He didn’t do it in spectacular style but he got his head down, got the first podium and did the job.
Nick may be the quiet one of the paddock but he showed he had talent. I think he should have a race seat but it’s his own fault and at least he took a gamble.
Anyway he’s some good footage of Nick in action. He had some good times with Alonso and Cooulthard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ho4y6NDE8g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc_ChrDgF3M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXXAPKPFP1w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYTT9I73QXw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHMyKUrs1XQ
Those are some great video posted in your comment Steph!
I really like Nick, and I agree he should have a permanent race seat, but I think he might just be waiting for a certain somebody’s neck to play up mid season and he’ll step into the seat….
I gotta gree with you, I think being at Merc is something he really wants, they are a large works team and I think he didn’t want to take the option of a race seat at a struggling team this season for the sake of being on the grid.