Nick Heidfeld
Nick Heidfeld | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 10, 1977 Mönchengladbach, West Germany |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
| Years active | 2000–2011 (Formula One), 2014–2018 (Formula E) |
| Known for | Formula One driver with 13 podiums, Formula E competitor, 24 Hours of Le Mans category winner |
Nick Lars Heidfeld (born 10 May 1977) is a retired German racing driver who participated in Formula One from to .
Originating from Mönchengladbach, Heidfeld started karting at age 11 and advanced through the ranks of Formula Ford, securing multiple national championships before moving up to Formula Three. After placing third in the 1996 season, he claimed the German Formula Three Championship title and won the prestigious Monaco F3 Grand Prix in 1997. He finished as runner-up to Juan Pablo Montoya in the International F3000 series before capturing the championship in 1999. Having served as a test driver for McLaren since , Heidfeld made his Formula One debut with Prost in , partnering Jean Alesi. Following Prost’s difficulties, he transferred to Sauber in , where he impressed by finishing fourth in his first race and secured his inaugural podium at the Grand Prix, outperforming teammate Kimi Räikkönen.
Heidfeld remained with Sauber for an additional two seasons prior to joining Jordan in , where he consistently scored points despite the car’s competitive limitations. In , he signed with Williams, achieving several podium finishes and claiming his sole pole position at the Grand Prix. After sustaining injuries, Heidfeld returned to Sauber, now under the BMW Sauber banner, in . Over four years, he earned eight podiums and recorded his highest championship standing—fifth place—in . When BMW withdrew from F1 at the conclusion of , Heidfeld found himself without a drive; he rejoined Sauber midway through 2010 and later moved to Renault in as a replacement for the injured Robert Kubica. His final podium came at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix before being succeeded by Bruno Senna following the Hungarian Grand Prix. Heidfeld concluded his F1 tenure with one pole position, two fastest laps, and 13 podiums—the most podium finishes without a race win.
Shifting focus to Formula E, Heidfeld joined Venturi for the inaugural 2014–15 season, securing a podium at the 2015 Moscow ePrix. Subsequently, he competed with Mahindra from 2015 onward, adding seven additional podiums across three seasons before departing after the 2017–18 campaign. Outside of formula racing, Heidfeld participated in six editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning the LMP1-L category in 2014 and achieving two fourth-place overall finishes. He also took part in five seasons of the FIA World Endurance Championship (2012–2016) driving for Rebellion and was runner-up in the 2013 American Le Mans Series. Additionally, Heidfeld held the position of chairman for the Grand Prix Drivers' Association in 2010.
Early life and career
Born on 10 May 1977 in Mönchengladbach, then part of West Germany, Heidfeld began karting at eleven years old in 1988. In 1994, he competed in the German Formula Ford championship, dominating by winning eight out of nine races to secure the title. The following year, he captured the German International Formula Ford 1800 Championship and finished as runner-up in the Zetec Cup. These accomplishments earned him a seat in the German Formula Three Championship for 1996, where he concluded third overall with three victories. His strong showing at the Macau Grand Prix attracted Norbert Haug’s attention, resulting in a contract with West Competition.
Junior career
In 1997, Heidfeld secured the German F3 Championship title driving for Bertram Schäfer Racing with backing from McLaren/West, highlighted by a triumph at the Monaco Grand Prix Formula Three support race. The following year, competing under West Competition, he claimed three victories and finished second in the International Formula 3000 series, narrowly missing out on the championship to Juan Pablo Montoya due to a penalty related to fuel irregularities. During 1998, he also held the role of official test driver for the McLaren-Mercedes Formula One outfit. In 1999, Heidfeld captured the International Formula 3000 Championship and set a track record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which remained unbroken for two decades. Additionally, he participated in the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans with Mercedes; however, the team withdrew following incidents involving their Mercedes-Benz CLR.
Prost (2000)
Heidfeld entered Formula One in 2000 with Prost Grand Prix, partnering seasoned driver Jean Alesi. He encountered difficulties adapting to the car, resulting in several retirements and collisions involving his teammate.
Sauber (2001–2003)
After departing Prost at the end of 2000, Heidfeld signed a three-year deal with Sauber for the 2001 season, teaming up with rookie Kimi Räikkönen. He achieved his first podium by finishing third at the 2001 Brazilian Grand Prix. Following Mika Häkkinen's retirement, Heidfeld was viewed as a leading candidate for McLaren-Mercedes due to Mercedes’ support and outscoring Räikkönen by three points that year. Despite this, the McLaren seat was awarded to Räikkönen, and Heidfeld continued with Sauber through 2002 and 2003, regularly earning points finishes. In 2002, he outperformed rookie teammate Felipe Massa, but in 2003 was surpassed by experienced compatriot Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
Jordan (2004)
After being replaced at Sauber by Giancarlo Fisichella for the 2004 season, Heidfeld secured a drive with the financially struggling Jordan team following impressive preseason testing performances. Paired with rookie teammate Giorgio Pantano, he piloted the updated yet still uncompetitive Jordan EJ14. Despite the car’s shortcomings, Heidfeld frequently exceeded expectations, finishing seventh at Monaco and eighth in Canada, accumulating a total of three points over the course of the year.
Williams (2005)
During winter 2004–2005, Heidfeld competed against Antônio Pizzonia in a selection process for Williams’ second race seat alongside Mark Webber. Williams ultimately confirmed Heidfeld as their driver for the 2005 season, taking over from Juan Pablo Montoya.
Throughout that year, Heidfeld delivered strong performances, often finishing ahead of Webber. At his home event at the Nürburgring, he achieved his sole career pole position. Additionally, he secured two runner-up finishes: one in Monaco and another at the Nürburgring.
His campaign was prematurely ended due to injuries sustained in a testing crash and a subsequent motorbike accident while cycling. These incidents forced him to miss the Italian and Belgian Grands Prix as well as the remainder of the season’s races.
2006
When BMW took over the Sauber team and entered Formula One as BMW Sauber for the 2006 campaign, Heidfeld secured a seat, replacing Felipe Massa who had transferred to Ferrari.
Throughout the 2006 season, Heidfeld regularly accumulated points for BMW Sauber. At the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, he ran as high as second place before ultimately finishing fourth. During the Indianapolis race, he endured a severe first-lap collision involving several cars, emerging unscathed after his vehicle flipped four times. His most notable achievement that year was delivering BMW Sauber's inaugural podium finish by placing third at the Hungarian Grand Prix, despite starting from tenth on the grid.
By the end of the season, Heidfeld expressed dissatisfaction with the media’s emphasis on his teammate Robert Kubica, who had earned fewer points. This was not an isolated case; similar media focus had occurred in 2001 when he outperformed Kimi Räikkönen and again in 2002 against Felipe Massa.
2007
Heidfeld commenced 2007 with strong performances, including a remarkable overtake of defending champion Fernando Alonso in Bahrain and finishing ahead of Kubica by approximately thirty seconds. Early in the season, he achieved three fourth-place finishes, a sixth at Monaco, and secured a career-best second place at the Canadian Grand Prix after outqualifying both Ferrari drivers.
Although he retired from fifth position at Indianapolis and was outscored by Kubica at Magny-Cours and Silverstone, Heidfeld bounced back at his home event, the Nürburgring European Grand Prix. Despite a collision with Kubica and enduring six pit stops, he managed to finish sixth. He followed this with a third-place podium in Hungary, fourth places in Turkey and Italy, and fifth in Belgium. Ultimately, he ended the season fifth in the drivers’ standings with 61 points, outperforming Kubica by 22 points.
On 28 April 2007, Heidfeld made history by becoming the first driver in over three decades to demonstrate a current Formula One car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife during an event witnessed by roughly 45,000 spectators.
2008
Following extended discussions, BMW officially confirmed that Heidfeld would continue racing for them in the 2008 season.
Heidfeld launched the 2008 campaign strongly with a second-place finish in Australia after starting fifth on the grid. In Malaysia, despite qualifying fifth again, he fell to tenth after being forced wide by Jarno Trulli but recovered to sixth place while setting his first fastest lap of the season. In Bahrain, he advanced from sixth to fourth position, placing him second in the championship standings early on.
After some challenging races, Heidfeld and teammate Robert Kubica made history at BMW Sauber by securing the team's maiden victory along with a one-two finish at the Canadian Grand Prix. Starting from eighth position, Heidfeld was involved in a tactical pit stop sequence that temporarily put him ahead of Kubica before relinquishing position for strategic reasons. He crossed the line second, maintaining his fifth-place position in the championship despite showing signs of frustration at having to give up the win.
Heidfeld experienced a disappointing performance in France but rebounded strongly with a second-place finish under wet conditions at the British Grand Prix. His home race at Hockenheim saw him achieve another podium accompanied by setting the fastest lap, demonstrating an improved form compared to Kubica. Additional podiums and consistent top-six results in Belgium, Italy, and Singapore brought him within one point of World Champion Kimi Räikkönen with just three races remaining.
On 6 October, BMW confirmed that both Heidfeld and Kubica would remain with the team for the following season.
In the last three races of 2008, Heidfeld scored four points and concluded sixth overall after being overtaken by Fernando Alonso in the standings. Notably, he became only the second driver since Tiago Monteiro in 2005—and first since Michael Schumacher’s 2002 full-season campaign—to complete all 18 races during a single Formula One season.
2009
Heidfeld commenced the season in Australia by qualifying 11th and concluding the race in 10th place. During the Malaysian Grand Prix, he qualified 11th but started from 10th position due to a penalty imposed on Sebastian Vettel. The event was halted on lap 33 because of heavy rain; at that moment, Heidfeld was running third. According to regulations, the final classification was based on the previous lap, promoting him to second place and awarding half points. He accumulated 2 points in Spain, 4 points at Spa, and another 2 points at Monza. His consistent point-scoring over the final six races secured him 13th in the Drivers' Championship, finishing two points ahead of Kubica.
His run of 41 consecutive classified race finishes ended at the Singapore Grand Prix following a collision with Force India driver Adrian Sutil.
Role with Mercedes and Pirelli Testing
Following BMW's withdrawal from Formula One at the close of 2009, Heidfeld's future in the sport was uncertain. He was considered for driving positions at Mercedes GP, McLaren, Sauber, and Renault but ultimately did not secure a race seat. On 4 February 2010, he was appointed as Mercedes' test and reserve driver.
At the Australian Grand Prix, Heidfeld assumed the position of Chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), a post he relinquished prior to the Belgian Grand Prix to concentrate on testing duties for Pirelli; Rubens Barrichello succeeded him in this role.
In August 2010, Mercedes released Heidfeld to enable him to focus fully on testing Pirelli tyres ahead of their return as sole supplier in . He conducted multiple test sessions with the Toyota TF109 equipped with Pirelli tyres at circuits including Mugello, Paul Ricard, and Jerez before departing to rejoin Sauber. Romain Grosjean subsequently took over his Pirelli testing responsibilities.
Return to Formula One with Sauber (2010)
Heidfeld made his return to Formula One in September 2010 by replacing Pedro de la Rosa at Sauber for the remainder of the 2010 season, marking his third stint with the team. On 4 October 2010, Sauber announced their driver lineup for 2011 as Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Pérez, leaving Heidfeld without a race seat. Nevertheless, he soon stepped in for the injured Robert Kubica at Renault after Kubica suffered injuries in a rally accident in February 2011.
Lotus Renault (2011)
On 9 February, Lotus Renault GP confirmed that Heidfeld would share testing duties with Bruno Senna at Jerez to evaluate candidates for Kubica's replacement. During Saturday testing, Heidfeld recorded the fastest time and was officially named as Kubica’s substitute on 16 February 2011.
He made his season debut at the Australian Grand Prix, qualifying 18th and finishing 12th after sustaining early race damage. At the Malaysian Grand Prix, he climbed from sixth on the grid to finish third, securing his thirteenth career podium and surpassing Stefan Johansson’s record for most podiums without a victory. Subsequent races saw steady points finishes: 12th in China, seventh in Turkey after an intense battle with teammate Petrov, and eighth places in both Spain and Monaco. However, collisions led to retirements in Canada and Hungary.
Before the Belgian Grand Prix, Heidfeld was replaced by Bruno Senna and officially parted ways with Lotus Renault GP on 2 September 2011.
Legacy
A 2016 study utilizing mathematical models placed Heidfeld as the 23rd greatest Formula One driver in history.
Endurance racing
Heidfeld became part of Rebellion Racing on 1 February 2012 to take part in the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans and selected events of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship. Partnering with Neel Jani and Nico Prost, he piloted a Lola-Toyota LMP1 prototype. The squad encountered difficulties at the 2012 12 Hours of Sebring, finishing 32nd overall and seventh in their category, yet secured a Rebellion one-two finish among privateers at the 2012 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, coming fifth overall behind factory Audi entries. At Le Mans, their performance improved to fourth place, effectively splitting the Audis with a consistent and dependable effort.
Formula E
On 26 June 2014, Heidfeld committed to Venturi Grand Prix for the debut season of the Formula E. During the opening round at the 2014 Beijing ePrix, he was involved in a last-lap incident with Nicolas Prost while contesting the lead; Prost later acknowledged fault. At the 2014 Putrajaya ePrix, Heidfeld retired following contact with Franck Montagny and was subsequently disqualified from his 19th-place result due to an unauthorized car swap during his pit stop, which impacted his championship points.
Personal life
Heidfeld lives in Stäfa, Switzerland with his fiancée and their three children, born in 2005, 2007, and 2010. He has two brothers: Tim and Sven Heidfeld, with Sven being a former racing driver who now works as a motorsport commentator in Germany.
His moniker in Formula One, "Quick Nick," was coined during his 2005 campaign with Williams.
Career summary
... [Table continues as original with slight reduction in whitespace] ...| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | German Formula Ford 1600 | ? | 9 | 8 | ? | ? | ? | ? | 1st |
| German Formula Ford 1800 | Eifelland Racing | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 48 | 10th | |
| 1995 | German Formula Ford 1800 | ADAC Nordrhein Junior Team | ? | 4 | ? | ? | ? | 346 | 1st |
| Formel Ford Zetec Meisterschaft | ? | 2 | ? | ? | ? | 169 | 2nd | ||
| 1996 | German Formula 3 Championship | Opel Team BSR | 15 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 138 | 3rd |
| Masters of Formula 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 3rd | ||
| FIA World Rallycross Championship | QEV Motorsport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | '16th' |
† As Heidfeld participated as a guest driver, he was not eligible to earn points.
Complete German Formula Three results
(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole positions) (Races in italics signify fastest laps)
| Year | Team | Engine Manufacturer | Category | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Opel Team BSR | Opel | A | HOC 1 6 |
HOC 2 Ret |
NÜR 2 |
NÜR 1 4 |
NÜR 2 4 |
NOR 1 Ret |
NOR 2 3 |
DIE 1 Ret |
DIE 2 11 |
NÜR 1 1 |
NÜR 2 1 |
MAG 1 1 |
MAG 2 2 |
HOC 1 17 |
HOC 2 4 |
3rd | 138 | |||
| 1997 | Opel Team BSR | Opel | A | HOC 1 1 |
HOC 2 1 |
NÜR 1 2 |
NÜR 2 3 |
SAC 1 2 |
SAC 2 6 |
NOR 1 Ret |
NOR 2 8 |
12}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| | 4}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| | 5}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| | 4}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| | Salzburgring#SAL_1 | 1 | style = " background : #FFFFBF ; " | Salzburgring#SAL_2 | 1 | style = " background : # DF DF DF ; " | Regio-Ring#LAH_1 | 2 | style = " background : # DF DF DF ; " | Regio-Ring#LAH_2 | 2 | style = " background : #FFFFBF ; " | Nürburgring#NÜR_1 | 1 | style = " background : # DF DF DF ; " | Nürburgring#NÜR_2 | 2 ! style = " background : #FFFFBF ; " | 1st ! style = " background : #FFFFBF ; " | 224 | | |||||||
International Formula 3000 results
(key) (Races shown in bold denote pole position; those in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pos. | Points | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | West Competition | OSC 2 |
IMO 4 |
CAT 26 |
SIL 2 |
MON 1 |
PAU 3 |
A1R 7 |
HOC 1 |
HUN 1 |
SPA 4 |
PER 2 |
NÜR 9 |
2nd | 58 | ||||||||||||||
| 1999 | West Competition | IMO 1 |
MON 7 |
CAT 1 |
MAG 1 |
SIL 3 |
A1R 1 |
HOC Ret |
HUN 2 |
SPA 4 |
NÜR 2 |
1st |
59 |
Formula One results
(Template:F1 driver results legend 2#key) (Races in bold mark pole position; those in italics represent fastest lap)
... [Subsequent years from 2001 to 2011 continue with detailed race outcomes, finishing positions, and accumulated points.]| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | "WDC" | Points earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:F1 | Gauloises Prost Peugeot | Prost AP03 | Peugeot A20 3.0 V10 | AUS 9 |
BRA Ret |
SMR Ret |
GBR Ret |
ESP 16 |
EUR EX |
MON 8 |
CAN Ret |
FRA 12 |
AUT Ret |
GER 12† |
HUN Ret |
BEL Ret |
ITA Ret |
USA 9 |
JPN Ret |
20th | 0 |
Driver did not finish but was classified for completing over 90% of the race distance.
‡ Half points were granted as less than three-quarters of the event distance was completed.
Formula One achievements
Heidfeld is recognized for holding the following significant Formula One records:
| Record | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Highest number of podium placements without securing a victory | 13 |
| Most second-place finishes without winning a race | 8 |
Formula E performance
(key) (Races shown in bold denote pole positions; those in italics signify fastest laps)
| Season | Team | Chassis | Power Unit | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Overall Position | Points Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | Venturi Formula E Team | Spark SRT01-e | SRT01-e | BEI 13† |
PUT DSQ |
PDE 10 |
BUE 8 |
MIA 12 |
LBH 11 |
MCO 10 |
BER 5 |
MSC 3 |
LDN 13 |
LDN Ret |
12th | 31 | |
| 2015–16 | Mahindra Racing | Spark SRT01-e | Mahindra M2ELECTRO | BEI 3 |
PUT 9 |
BUE 7 |
MEX 8 |
LBH 4 |
PAR 12 |
BER 7 |
LDN 13 |
10th | 53 |
| Season | Team | Chassis | Power Unit | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final Standing | Total Points |
|---|
Formula E achievements
Heidfeld shares the following Formula E record:
| Record | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Highest number of podium appearances without a victory | 8 |
24 Hours of Le Mans performance
FIA World Endurance Championship results
| Year | Team | Category | Chassis model | Engine type | First race result | Second race result | Third race result | Additional races | Championship standing | Points earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Rebellion Racing | LMP1 | Lola B12/60 | Toyota RV8KLM 3.4L V8 | 17th (Sebring) | 5th (Spa) | 3rd (Le Mans) | Various placements | 14th overall | 42.5 |
| 2013 | Rebellion Racing | LMP1 | Lola B12/60 | Toyota RV8KLM 3.4L V8 | 5th (Silverstone) | 5th (Spa) | 20th (Le Mans) | Podium finishes including São Paulo and others | 8th place | 48 points |
| 2014 | Rebellion Racing | LMP1 | Lola B12/60 | Toyota RV8KLM 3.4L V8 | 4th (Silverstone) | 7th (Spa) | 4th (Le Mans) | Consistent top-10 results | 10th position | 64.5 points |
| 2015 | Rebellion Racing | LMP1 | Rebellion R-One | AER P60 2.4L Turbo V6 | 19th (Le Mans) | Mid-field finishes elsewhere | 29th overall | 2 points | ||
| 2016 | Rebellion Racing | LMP1 | Rebellion R-One | AER P60 2.4L Turbo V6 | 4th (Silverstone, Spa) | 13th (Le Mans) | Mixed results across other rounds | 14th place | 25.5 points |
American Le Mans Series results
| Year | Team name | Category class | Chassis used | Engine model | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Race 4 | Race 5 | Race 6 | Race 7 | Race 8 | Race 9 | Race 10 | Final standing | Total points earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 American Le Mans Series#Season_results_and_standings2013]] | nowrap style="text-align:left;" Rebellion Racing | P1 category | nowrap style="text-align:left;" Lola B12/60 | nowrap style="text-align:left;" Toyota RV8KLM 3.4 L V8 engine | style="background:#FFDF9F;" title="Sebring">2013 12 Hours of Sebring (3rd place) |
style="background:#DFDFDF;" title="Long Beach">Long Beach Grand Prix (2nd place) |
style="background:#DFDFDF;" title="Laguna Seca">Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (2nd place) |
"Lime Rock Park" | "Mosport International Raceway" | "Road America" | "Baltimore Grand Prix" | "Circuit of the Americas" | "Virginia International Raceway" | "Petit Le Mans"
<style=background:#FFFFBF;>Petit Le Mans |
"2nd overall" | "82 points" |
IMSA SportsCar Championship results
| Year | Team | Category | Vehicle | Powertrain | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Final Position | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Rebellion Racing | P | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | DAY 8 |
SEB 9 |
LBH | COA | DET | WGL | MOS | ELK | LGA | PET 8 |
22nd | 68 |
Complete FIA World Rallycross Championship results
(legend)
RX2e
| Year | Team | Model | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | WRX Final Standing | Points Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | QEV Motorsport | ZEROID X1 | SWE | NOR | LAT | BEL | CAT 10 |
16th | 6 |