September 5, 2011 by joesaward
It is 12 years since Nick Heidfeld first raced in F1. He has competed in 183 events and has been on the podium 13 times (a record), but he has never won a race and at 34 and with eight teams behind him (as a test or race driver), one might suppose that the German driver is running out of options. He has a way to go before he reaches Andrea de Cesaris’s record as the driver with the most starts without a victory (208), but he is now well ahead of the likes of Martin Brundle (158), Derek Warwick (147) and Jean-Pierre Jarier and Eddie Cheever (143). With 20 races a year these records come up more quickly than used to be the case. He and Nico Rosberg are both trying to get off the list of drivers who have scored the most points without winning a race. Nico is currently around 20 points ahead. Nick is well clear of Mark Webber’s record of having started the most races before his maiden victory, which currently stands at 130. Despite this the sport has been kind to him. He has made plenty of money and has not been seriously hurt, his only major adventure being a concussion in 2005. With the current economic climate a lot of teams are now looking for drivers who can attract money and while the value of experience is still worth something, teams are tending to look for inspirational drivers who motivate teams as well as having a lot of knowledge. And racers who have never won have a tougher time doing that. On the other hand, Heidfeld would be sought after were he to decide to try his hand in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) Series. It is fortuitous that BMW, which has backed Heidfeld’s career on several occasions, is currently in the process of putting together a squad to enter DTM in 2012. Thus far the only drivers who have been confirmed are longtime BMW favourites Andy Priaulx, a three-time World Touring Car Champion, and Augusto Farfus. There has been speculation that BMW is going after Canada’s Bruno Spengler, who has been racing with Mercedes-Benz in DTM since 2005, but is still only 28 years of age.
Credit: JJOE (joesaward.wordpress.com)
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