Heidfeld gets Mercedes third driver role
Nick Heidfeld
Mercedes has confirmed Nick Heidfeld will be their third driver in 2010.
The news means Heidfeld will not be on the grid for the first time since the end of the 2005 season, when he was sidelined with injury.
He has contested 167 Grands Prix since 2000.
Heidfeld said:
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.
Heidfeld was supported by Mercedes earlier in his racing career and won the 1999 F3000 championship while backed by them.
He made his F1 debut with Prost the following year before moving on to Sauber. But he failed to gain a place with McLaren-Mercedes when Mika Hakkinen left the team at the end of 2001, the team choosing his Sauber team mate Kimi Räikkönen instead.
The signing of Heidfeld alongside Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg cements Mercedes’ all-German driver line-up – while rivals McLaren have an all-British squad of Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and third driver Gary Paffett.
It also means Mercedes have signed three drivers who are statistically the most dependable of all time. Heidfeld holds the record for the most consecutive race classifications – 41 – followed by Rosberg (27) and Schumacher (24).
See the updated list of 2010 F1 drivers and teams
Chaz said on 4th February 2010, 18:11
Interesting. I wonder if there has been any further speculation of Heidfeld keeping up his racing skills in DTM this year…
Nick Somebody said on 4th February 2010, 18:15
He is a millionaire and whatever he does from now on in his life I’m assuming that as long as he has got a half decent accountant he will stay a millionaire. That means he could have afforded to lower his salary considerably and really pushed to go to Renault or stay at Sauber. It’s surely better to be a driver than to be stuck at home without a career wondering what to do with yourself, or to be a tester in 2010 which is basically being stuck in a team wondering what to do with yourself.
He’s too shy, and for that reason no one notices he exists. He matched Kubica through their time at BMW and he pretty much matched Raikkonen in Sauber through the 2nd half of their year together I seem to remember.
Oh well.
three4three said on 4th February 2010, 18:26
It’s sad to see this confirmed but really it’s the best option open to him. I do think there will be a good chance of M.S. not lasting the whole 19 races so for Heidfeld it’s best to be ready in the wings in such an eventuality. I take the point that Nick has had his time and not shined but it’s still a shame when he is better than half the field.
Jack Sargeant said on 4th February 2010, 18:45
Just checked out the who’s who page and I don’t think you’ve added Ricciardo and Hartley as RBR reserves :)
Zarathustra said on 4th February 2010, 20:43
Haters gonna hate but Kubica > Heidfeld.
And just like almost all of you I think the same, that he is better than half of the drivers on the grid and should race instead of Rosberg in some decent team.
theRoswellite said on 4th February 2010, 22:28
Nick Heidfeld…”..didn’t have the ambition…never really wanted it…if he stepped up and drove the way the top tier guys do..” BD
Are we all watching the same Grand Prix races?
These guys are all going as quickly as they can, as often as they can. If they felt they could go faster, without falling off the road, do you think they would simply choose not to?
Heidfeld has managed to stay in F1 for a considerable time based on both talent and his professional “work ethic”. To criticize him for not being more talented is to miss understand the nature of “talent” at this level.
For all the reasons mentioned by most contributors, this is a good move by Nick. He stands at least an even chance of picking up a race seat if MS chooses, or is chosen to, depart stage right.
Nick is still in a first class team, and, at least for me, he seems to have once again made the best career choice open to him.
Adam Tate said on 5th February 2010, 0:31
It’s just a damn shame, that’s all I can say. With as much support as Nick’s getting here in the comments alone and elsewhere, you’d think somebody in the teams would read it and find a way for him to have a seat racing for a top team.
theRoswellite said on 5th February 2010, 6:20
(misunderstand) I need to calm down a bit before putting pen to paper, not to mention acquiring an editor!
fanmercedesgp said on 5th February 2010, 9:07
It is really an unfortunate situation for Quick Nick. He is one of those drivers who should be an automatic choice for any active driver seat. But as all the top teams like Mclaren & ferrari got the cream of the drivers and mercedes getting michael schumacher back, the only probable choice for Nick Heidfeld was Renault Seat. But the kind of issues renault has faced in the last few years must have turned him negative. I agree with steph90 about the approximate tenure of Schumi in Formula1 which can provide a real opportunity for Nick to probably fight for championship with mercedes in coming years. Don’t worry Nick I Know the kind of caliber you have as formula 1 driver we will definitely going to see you on grid very soon. All the best Quick Nick. You will come back with bang.
Intensive Driving Courses said on 5th February 2010, 13:37
I agree with those that have spoken out against this move for Heidfeld. He’s easily good enough to be racing this year.
Okay, he’s in a great position in that he can learn from someone of great talent and experience as Michael Schumacher, but that is the only upside to this deal for him.
When you look at some of the drivers that will be competing this coming season, it does make you wonder why those teams didn’t look at Heidfeld first (or if they did, why didn’t Heidfeld jump at the opportunity).
He may not be the most exciting out there but he’s more talented than some of the drivers in this years’ line-up (based entirely on my opinion – not fact).