Nick Heidfeld Settles For Test Driver Role At Mercedes GP Petronas

Nick Heidfeld looks set to be a Mercedes reserve driver this season after failing to secure a race seat.

He had originally been in contention for a race drive at the team but was beaten to the post by Michael Schuamcher. Since then he has been exploring options elsewhere, but with Renault being the only viable option left for a non-paying driver, his manager has said he will settle for a test role at Mercedes.

“Nick wants to concentrate fully on his job as test driver and support the regular drivers with his experience,” Heidfeld’s manager Andre Theuerzeit told Auto Bild. “Nick had focused on having a [race] cockpit with the top teams, but their decisions were rather late. So we’ve gone for another opportunity.”

Theuerzeit added that the contract wasn’t yet finalised, but reports suggest an announcement will be made at the team’s launch in Stuttgart on Monday.

Source: ESPNF1