It’s official: Heidfeld is back in business – Räikkönen wants to do the same

casinoenligne.uk.com, your favorite F1 news site, had mentioned in recent days a possible change in the lineup within the Sauber team. Today, it’s official: Nick Heidfeld is indeed back in business as a full-time Sauber driver. He will make his grand debut at the next race during the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Swiss team has made this change official by announcing that their driver duo for the last five races will be Kamui Kobayashi paired with Nick Heidfeld. Pedro de la Rosa is thus dropped before the end of the season. The gamble of taking an older driver who wasn’t a regular in recent years did not pay off.

It is by relying on his legendary Swiss calm that Peter Sauber analyzes this change from another angle, suggesting that the goal is to help the team better understand the car: « It was a difficult decision for me as the team principal, and I want to thank Pedro for his professionalism… By signing Nick, we have a driver we know very well, who will help us assess the capability of our car compared to the competition. »

For his part, Pedro de la Rosa expressed his surprise following this decision: “I am surprised by the team’s decision, but I respect it and wish everyone good luck for the rest of the season… I still intend to be in Formula 1 for 2011.”

Nick Heidfeld is happy with this unexpected return after successively accepting to be the 3rd driver at Mercedes and development driver for Pirelli: “I’m thrilled, I’m eager to have the chance to race again in a good F1 car starting at the Singapore Grand Prix. After these past months, I’m more motivated than ever… For me, it’s like coming back home. In total, I’ve raced for seven years for the Hinwil team. No doubt, I will immediately feel at home, which should help me familiarize myself with the car as quickly as possible. I would like to thank Peter Sauber for the faith he has placed in me.”

Another driver removed from F1 races this year is determined to get back behind the wheel of a single-seater, and that driver is Kimi Räikkönen. It is true that his experience as a world champion is invaluable, and some teams might want to have this knowledge within their team. Let’s also recall the uncertainty surrounding Michael Schumacher’s future, and the possibility already mentioned on our site of seeing Räikkönen replace the “Red Baron” next season.

Within the F1 grid, another team has openly shown interest in Iceman, namely Renault. An initial approach from the French manufacturer had been reported by the media, but today it’s Räikkönen who reportedly contacted the management of the Renault F1 Team. After seeing the performance of the yellow and black cars at the Belgian GP, he decided to do what was necessary to reach an agreement.

The Finnish driver had been clear about a possible return to F1. It could only happen if he received guarantees regarding the car’s competitiveness. It seems that choosing Renault is, for him, a guarantee of success.

For both parties involved, this decision is not of an urgent nature. On his side, Räikkönen is engaged in WRC, and his contract guarantees his presence in rallying for 2011. For Renault, Petrov is in the second seat, his performances fluctuate, but he still has the opportunity to prove that he can be a useful second driver for the next season.

Eric Boullier, Renault’s team principal, confirmed that Räikkönen had approached the team and was in the running for a seat alongside Robert Kubica in 2011: «It is true that summer has passed and we have had more and more inquiries, the person you mentioned (Räikkönen) is now on our radar… He is on our radar because he contacted us.»

For Boullier, the Petrov case is clear. If the young Russian driver wants to be present next season, he must improve his consistency as soon as he’s on the track and stop making stupid mistakes like his spin in qualifying at Spa, or his attitude towards Timo Glock in qualifying at Monza.

When asked what Petrov would have to do to convince Renault that he is a better option than Räikkönen, Boullier responds: “To be honest, he is not very far off.” He adds: “It is still very complicated for him to manage a complete weekend and be flawless, and that’s what he needs to work on and focus on; he must also clearly develop his commitment and dedication.”

Petrov is an important commercial vector, opening the doors to Russia. If Renault were to consider recruiting Räikkönen, the French manufacturer’s commercial approach would be altered, as acknowledged by Eric Boullier: « It would be a different strategy for the team… It’s not a question of personality or having a world champion title; it would cost me more having him as a world champion than not having that title. That’s not the issue; it’s a different strategy… You work differently if you have a rookie to support than if you have two experienced drivers to manage. It’s different.»

Boullier refocuses the debate on his young Russian driver: «We need to think about this situation, but the priority is Vitaly, we need to see how he will develop. If we are convinced then we will allow him to stay permanently. This is the first option.»

To conclude on this matter, the team principal of Renault wants to have different solutions in hand: « There are several other options, and one of them is Kimi.

The Finnish driver seems to be in demand, which puts him in a strong position to determine the best conditions for his return to F1.

Iceman loves rallying, but the sirens of the F1 Circus know how to win him over. A good, fast, and performing car and Kimi could make a comeback in a big way.