Biography
Nick Heidfeld F1 Biography
Nick Heidfeld
‘Quick Nick’ Heidfeld was one of the hottest young prospects in the mid-90s and went on to become a solid and consistent F1 performer for 11 years.
Although he was never given the opportunity to race for one of the big boys, Heidfeld proved he was one of the quickest drivers around and will go down as one of the best drivers never to win a Formula 1 race.
The German’s big break came at in , after a couple of years of testing with who it seemed were grooming him for a race seat. Heidfeld partnered the experienced , and the pair struggled to get the best out of an awful car despite showing flashes of speed.
In , he switched to and beat his rookie team-mate on points and was favourite to succeed at McLaren.
However, the team picked Kimi Raikkonen instead, which greatly upset the German. It must have been tough for Heidfeld to take. He had all the credentials to excel in a title chasing team.
The knock back seemed to affect his confidence as a couple of mediocre years passed him by, including being beaten by the much older in .
Nick Heidfeld driving for Jordan in 2004.
Sauber dumped both drivers at the end of that year, and Heidfeld went on to join . This re-invigorated him as he rediscovered his lost mojo and, although the car was poor, he had arguably his best ever year in Formula 1.
Three points finishes don’t do his performances justice but Heidfeld was a man possessed in a poor Jordan car. And in he finally got his reward with a drive at .
The famous British team had been competing for world championships in previous seasons, but 2005 was the start of a new order in F1 and Williams were the victims as they fell down towards mid-table.
Heidfeld took pole at the and scored a couple of podiums, including a brilliant , but he missed the last five races after injuring himself in a crash at Monza.
Heidfeld returned to Sauber in , although they had been taken over by . The German was the spearhead of the team’s aggressive aim to get to the top of the sport. An encouraging season, which saw them come fifth in the Constructors Championship, was followed by a brilliant .
Polish driver joined Heidfeld, who admitted that the talented Kubica had made him push harder than he has ever had to before. The results spoke for themselves. He never qualified lower than ninth and was clearly the best of the rest behind McLaren and .
In the races, he scored points in all but three races and finished twice on the podium. In Hungary, he drove faultlessly to keep McLaren behind and take second in a mature performance. At the end of the season, he scored 61 points and came fifth in the standings.
Sauber BMW one two finish of Canada 2008
The following year, BMW expected to improve again but whereas Kubica excelled and even won a race, Heidfeld struggled. His driving style didn’t suit the car and, although he finished second on four occasions, he found qualifying very difficult. BMW’s day in the sun came in Canada where Kubica won and Heidfeld came second.
After a difficult , which heralded just 19 points, Heidfeld left the team and saw opportunities become very limited. Just two seasons after being a regular podium finisher, Heidfeld was without a drive in after BMW pulled out of the sport.
Stints as and Pirelli test driver filled his time, but towards the end of the 2010 season he was brought back by Sauber in place of . In , he filled in for the injured Kubica at Renault-Lotus.
Another podium, which saw him equal the record for the number of podiums without an F1 win, and 34 points, saw him dominate his team-mate. But their dumped him half-way through the season after a dispute.
Heidfeld, by now in his mid-30s, became an unpopular option for a sport chasing younger drivers, meaning his F1 career was over.
For a driver who was tipped for great things, Heidfeld wasn’t given the break he deserved. He spent his best years in poor cars but did prove what he could do when finally given the chance. He goes down as one of the best drivers never to win a F1 race.
Official website: http://www.nickheidfeld.com
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