Nick Heidfeld signs as offical test driver for Pirelli
Former Mercedes GP reserve driver Nick Heidfeld is now the official tester for Pirelli. Heidfeld was released from his contract with Mercedes and will work with Pirelli, the sole tyre supplier in Formula one for 2011. Pirelli’s first Formula One tyre development tests began Tuesday in Italy at the Mugello circuit.
Pirelli is making its return to Formula One after a 20-year absence. The Italian company signed a three-year deal with the FIA in June after Bridgestone, the current tyre suppliers, decided to withdraw from the position at the end of 2010. Heidfeld has spent 10 years in Formula One and will use last year’s Toyota’s F1 car, the TF109, to test the Pirelli tyres all cars will be using next year.
"First of all I would like to thank (Mercedes GP’s) Ross Brawn, Norbert Haug and Nick Fry for allowing me the opportunity to become Pirelli's official test driver,” Heidfeld said in a statement. “The team has always said that they would not stand in my way if such a chance arose and they have kindly allowed me to take up this exciting new role.”
Heidfeld has started in over 150 Grand Prix in Formula One. The 33-year-old driver joined forces with Mercedes GP for the 2010 season after leaving BMW Sauber at the end of last year. He has also worked as a test driver for McLaren and has race experience with such teams as Prost and Jordan. One of the biggest factors in Pirelli’s decision to sign Heidfeld was his consistency in races. Heidfeld also holds the record for highest number of consecutive race classifications at 41.
Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP principal believes Heidfeld is the perfect driver to be working with Pirelli:“Nick is an extremely experienced driver and we are confident that his racing knowledge and technical feedback will prove extremely useful to Pirelli and therefore of benefit to the sport as a whole,” Brawn said.
Heidfeld has not confirmed his race schedule for 2011, but it is anticipated that his new job with Pirelli will make him a valuable acquisition for teams looking to tap in on his newly-acquired tyre knowledge.
“It would be great to see Nick in a competitive car in next year's world championship and I am sure his leading role in the new tyre development, in addition to his skills, puts Nick in a good position for the remaining seats in 2011," said Mercedes-Benz Motorsport vice-president Norbert Huag.
The Toyota TF109 Heidfeld will use was the last Formula One machine that Toyota manufactured before withdrawing from the racing sport in 2009. The car has contemporary technology and performance, and will allow Heidfeld to test the Pirelli PZero tyre without giving an advantage to any of the current teams.
“As for the car, we have a policy of complete impartiality, so we did not want to favour any existing team,” said Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery. “The Toyota was the perfect solution, as it is a contemporary racing machine with proven speed and reliability but without links to any of the manufacturers currently competing in Formula One.”
The development tests Pirelli is conducting will target the compounds to be used by teams in 2011. They will be trying to isolate a delicate compromise between performance, durability and spectacle. That is, Pirelli is not only focusing on manufacturing a tyre that adheres to the wishes of the teams, they are also focusing on creating a tyre that will give fans a more exciting and close race.
All of the current Formula One teams will get an opportunity to test out the new tyres after the final race in Abu Dhabi in November at the Yas Marina circuit.
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