Confirmed: Heidfeld to race for Renault in 2011
by Jack Lamure on Feb 16th, 2011Nick Heidfeld has been confirmed as a Renault driver for the 2011 season, replacing injured former BMW team-mate Robert Kubica until the Pole is fit to race again.
33-year-old Heidfeld, a veteran of 172 grand prix starts, looked set to spend this season on the sidelines after being replaced by rookie Sergio Perez at Sauber. The German also started 2010 without a race seat but joined the Swiss team for the final five rounds of the campaign after Pedro de la Rosa was relieved of driving duties.
Now he will enter the new season in a car seen by many as a potential race winner, and with a team-mate in Vitaly Petrov he will likely see himself as well capable of beating.
Photo: Lotus Renault gP
Heidfeld tested for Renault at Jerez last weekend, ending the day fastest and impressing the team with his technical feedback. He is the current record holder for most podium finishes achived without a race win (12), an unenviable disticntion he shares with Swede Stefan Johansson. In a statement released today Heidfeld admitted he was not happy to land a drive due to a fellow racer being injured but was fired up to do a good job for the Enstone-based team.
"I would have liked to come back to Formula 1 in different circumstances, but I'm proud to have been given this chance," said Heidfeld. "Everything has happened so quickly, but I've been very impressed by what I have seen so far in terms of the facilities and the dedication of the people at Enstone.
"I really enjoyed the test last week in Jerez and I've already settled in well with the guys at the track. I have a good feeling for the car, which is quite innovative. I'm extremely motivated and can't wait for the season to begin."
Nick will test for the team in Barcelona next week, sharing duties with Petrov.
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Comments and Discussion
I like the idea of Heifled driving for renault, but I`d like Senna to have a chance in a good car; I think Bruno is a better driver than Petrov
Bruno doesn't have pockets as deep as Petrov though - how annoying!
I wasn't convinced with Senna last year. He tended to be just slightly quicker than Yamamoto and unable to live with the pace of Chandhok or Klien. Plus the team kept letting him off; when he made a mistake they came out and said there was something wrong with the car.
Perhaps if Petrov continues to cause damage and his sponsorship contributions are spent entirely on car repairs rather than upgrades then Bruno might get his chance, i just wouldn't put the team on his shoulders as a number 1 driver.
I think the Renault team will be pleasantly surprised with Nick, of course it's the correct decision to employ him. It's just insane that a driver of Heidfeld's quality continually finds himself out on the sidelines while less deserving drivers can pay their way in.
If Nick wins a race or few this year (fingers crossed), he'd be perfectly within his rights to publically say "i told you so!".