Official: Nick Heidfeld replaces Kubica at Lotus Renault GP
Lotus Renault GP is pleased to announce the signing of Nick Heidfeld as the new lead driver, following Robert Kubica's injury. He will start his new job this week in Barcelona for the third winter testing session.
At 33 years old, the German driver is one of the most experienced in Formula 1 with 172 Grand Prix starts over 11 seasons. He will team up with Vitaly Petrov for the season opener on March 13 in Bahrain.
Nick Heidfeld: I would have preferred to return to F1 under different circumstances, but I’m proud to have been given this opportunity. Everything happened so fast! I was impressed by what I’ve seen so far in terms of the facilities and the involvement of the team members at Enstone. I really enjoyed the test last week in Jerez, and I’ve already settled in with the team on the track. The car, which seems very innovative to me, made a good impression on me. I’m very motivated and can’t wait for the season to start!
Eric Boullier: The team has gone through two difficult weeks, and we had to react very quickly. Nick seized the opportunity we gave him in Jerez last week. He really impressed us. He is fast, experienced, very strong technically with his feedback and understanding of the car. We have always said that the priority was to have an experienced driver, and he seems to be the right man for the job. We are delighted to welcome Nick, and we hope to start the season very strongly with him and Vitaly in Bahrain.
Barcelona testing session
The drivers’ schedule for the Barcelona test days (February 18-21):
– Vendredi matin: entrainement aux pit stops pour Nick Heidfeld et Vitaly Petrov.
– Vendredi après-midi: Vitaly Petrov
– Samedi: Nick Heidfeld
– Dimanche: Vitaly Petrov
– Lundi: Nick Heidfeld
