Nick Heidfeld to drive for Renault
Nick Heidfeld will be the second driver for the Renault Formula 1 team to drive the new R31 car at the Jerez test session. Heidfeld has previously been driving for Sauber and is considered as a fierce competitor with the skills to replace driver Robert Kubica.
Kubica is starting his long run towards rehabilitation after he was severely injured in a car crash on Sunday while competing in the Ronde di Andora rally in Italy.
Dr. Igor Rossello, while talking to the media, said, “The operation was perfectly successful. It’s a great result because the operation was long and very complex.” He also said that Kubica will need at least a year to recover from surgeries. Kubica will undergo more surgeries on his elbow and knee on Friday.
On Wednesday, Renault’s team Principal Eric Boullier stated that Vitantonio Liuzzi, Nick Heidfeld and Bruno Senna are on the list to replace Kubica. However, the final decision is to allow Heidfeld to drive for the Renault team in the Jerez test session.
The Renault team is a bit short on experience as Kubica will not be available to join Vitaly Petrov and test driver Bruno Senna. Both drivers are not experienced enough to give Renault some respect on the grid. Heidfeld has more experience than Senna, Liuzzi and Kubica, makes him the ideal candidate to help the Renault team achieve some much needed success.
The 33-year-old Heidfeld has been driving since 2000 for BMW Sauber, Williams and Jordan. He has more than 170 starts on different grids with his best finish being second place for the Williams team at the Nurburgring Grand Prix circuit in 2005.
In the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix Heidfeld gave BMW Sauber their best finish and first podium when he secured third place on the grid.
Heidfeld and Kubica were team-mates in 2007 when they were both in BMW Sauber. Heidfeld’s career best finish came in 2007 where he finished fifth in the overall standings with 22 points ahead of his team mate Kubica.
Last year, he was a test driver for the Pirelli Company and drove the Toyota TF109 several times on the new rubber. His addition to the Renault team will be very helpful as he has the most experience on the new Pirelli tyres.
Five Germans are confirmed to drive this season and if Heidfeld gets a regular seat at Renault he will be the sixth German on the grid.
The Jerez test season starts on Thursday and 11 teams will be testing with their new cars.
Heidfeld will have to grab this opportunity and prove his competitiveness during the Jerez test session to secure his position with a permanent seat at Renault. It will be interesting to see how Heidfeld will adapt his driving style to Renault’s new car during the Jerez test session.
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