At Mercedes.....reserve Heidfeld accepts Mercedes GP reserve role Sat, 23 Jan 15:00:34 2010 Crash.net Nick Heidfeld will complete an all-German super team alongside countrymen Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes Grand Prix in F1 2010, his manager has confirmed a move that could bring down the curtain on the career of one of the best drivers never to actually win a race in the top flight. Heidfeld made his bow at the highest level with Prost Grand Prix in 2000, with a burgeoning reputation as the reigning International F3000 (now GP2 Series) champion. However, a poor car during his maiden campaign left that reputation somewhat battered and bruised, and subsequent stints at Sauber and Jordan merely left him treading water as a career that arguably should have taken off went into neutral. There were flashes of form at Williams in 2005, and his four years spent at BMW-Sauber from 2006 to 2009 yielded eight rostrum finishes but sadly no grand prix victory. A consistent performer witness his records for the most consecutive race classifications at 41, and most finishes in a season with 18 in 2008 who has often been rated as one of the most underrated drivers in the field, Heidfelds inability to adapt to Bridgestones new qualifying tyre in 2008 left him on the back foot and saw him come off second-best in comparison with emerging team-mate Robert Kubica. Whilst honours between the pair were rather more even in 2009 and Quick Nick indeed outscored the Pole by 19 points to 17 in many observers eyes, by that stage the damage had already been done, and when BMW announced that it was pulling the plug come seasons end, the man from Mönchengladbach was suddenly left seeking alternative employment. Linked with the vacant berth at Renault alongside Kubica, Scuderia Toro Rosso and for a long time Mercedes itself before it became apparent that the seat was being reserved for someone of altogether greater significance it seems that Heidfeld has now pledged his future allegiance to the three-pointed star. It was the Stuttgart manufacturer that supported him throughout many of the junior formulae but overlooked him in favour of then Sauber team-mate Kimi Raikkonen at the beginning of 2002, electing to snap up the Finn to replace his retiring compatriot Mika Hakkinen at McLaren-Mercedes. That moment was what many hold to be the pivotal turning-point when through no fault of his own, Heidfelds F1 career eschewed the rising star route to instead head down the journeyman path. He is due to be officially presented in his new role when Mercedes F1 2010 challenger is launched on Monday (25 January), meaning his time on the grand prix grid may now have reached the end of the road at the age of just 32. Nick will fully concentrate on supporting [Mercedes] main drivers as the teams test and reserve driver, his manager Andre Theuerzeit told German magazine Bild. Nick focussed on a seat with one of the top teams, but unfortunately we were unable to sign him up
This could turn up to be a good move for Heifeld. At 41, Shumacher can't be that far from retirement, and also his physical fitness may be in question with possible reoccuring neck problem. Heifeld could be asked to replace MS at any time. It's probably better than accepting a drive in one of these new F1 teams. Probably more rewarding financially too...
+1 the situation could have turned out less rewarding, like no drive at all. The team is new etc and Nick will be in the press a bit more than with some other team, potentially. That being said not having an active racing seat at his age is probably not very good news in the larger sense. He should be looking at Merc DTM and probably is
+100. I see it as being very similar when Mika Hakkinen was without a drive with Lotus after the 92 season. He signed on as the McLaren test driver for the 93 season. When Michael Andretti had a horrible season with few points and Senna was fighting tooth and nail for the championship lead, McLaren pulled the plug on Andretti after he finally nailed a podium at Monza through attrition in front of him. Mika was able to step in and match Senna's speed straightaway and stayed as a McLaren Race Driver until 2001 when he retired. This could be Heidfeld's thinking as well, that if MS is not competitive and Mercedes yanks him as McLaren did Andretti, he will be stepping into a championship caliber seat. Also, he knows that at 41 there is only going to be 2-3 seasons MS will be racing and he may assume he can step into that seat when MS steps away... Either way it plays out it was the percentage play from Heidfeld. His only other option was to sign on with one of the backmarkers and then his reputation would be wrecked inside of one season with constantly qualifying near the back end of the grid and being lapped by everyone. At least this way he is still clinging by the fingernails to one of the top teams... Mercedes is probably paying quite a bit higher salary than one of the backmarkers could or would offer. The main danger that remains for Heidfeld is that at this point his career transforms into that of career test driver like Wurz and de la Rosa (who I rated as an F1 caliber, but not F1 star material in the pretty orange Arrows of 2000). With him being in his 30s and lots of young hot shots on the horizon, this is a very likely result and what most people expect to happen. Having said all that, he's making lemonade out of lemons. Ageing Journeyman talent, but not star material... It is what it is... Frank
I think so. Of all the drivers that have never one in F1, Heidfeld is among the very best. And he gets the job done.
Hmm, come to think of it, you might have a point. From the top of my head I couldn't really name anybody whom I think is better and hasn't won a race. I read it as "one of the best drivers" without the "never to win a GP" as a qualifier. But in combination I think that's true.
Could not agree more.. It is good to see Quick Nick is with a more than capable team even if he is the reserve driver.
Well, if we're speaking of all time, Nick would be behind Chris Amon. He had numerous poles and podiums during his career but he couldn't manage to score a K. I think Mario's colourful words state it best - ' If he was an undertaker, people would stop dying' (lifted from Wiki). Thank goodness Alesi managed to escape the club .
Amon's career was one of the most tragic story of F1. The guy was constantly in the 'right' team at the 'wrong' time. So promising and a complete failure in the end. Had he stuck to his initial intentions, Amon would have stuck with his compatriot Bruce McLaren, accepted the 2nd seat at McLaren, and ended winning the WDC instead for the team, instead of Fittipaldi. Probably that he would have won 2 couple of CANAM series too, instead of Hulme. But he was lured by Ferrari which was at a low ebb, and ruined his career in the process.
Ouch! I wonder why the Renault drive didn't happen. Being Merc's reserve driver, IMO won't do Heidi any good. Assuming MS completes his 3 yr contract, and Merc is more than happy to retain Nico, I think Vettel will be in the other Merc seat in 3 years time. if i were Heidi, i won't relax this season and next season, but continue to look for potential vacancy around.
