HEIDFELD SHIPS FROM MERCEDES GP TO PIRELLI
2010-08-17 18:06:03 Author: admin Source:
With the current Formula One World Championship season on a break, the Mercedes GP Petronas team broke the silence as they announced the release of third and reserve driver to take up position at Pirelli as their official test driver.
Heidfeld's role at Mercedes GP has been somewhat limited throughout the current season and the experienced F1 driver still yearns for a more challenging job description in F1. Although primarily serving as a backmarker to Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg all season long, Heidfeld did extend his gratitude to the Mercedes GP management for the opportunity. "First of all I would like to thank Ross Brawn, Norbert Haug and Nick Fry for allowing me the opportunity to become Pirelli’s official test driver. The team has always said that they would not stand in my way if such a chance arose and they have kindly allowed me to take up this exciting new role."
"I would like to thank everyone at the team for the great cooperation that we have had this year. I have greatly enjoyed supporting the team in my position as reserve driver and have felt welcome right from the outset. It was impressive to have the opportunity to work with the current champions and I wish the team all the best for the remainder of the season and beyond,” he added.
Team Principal Ross Brawn credited the move to allow Heidfeld's transfer to Pirelli, "We can confirm that the team is pleased to allow Nick Heidfeld the opportunity to join Pirelli and contribute to their development work for the company’s imminent return to Formula One. Nick (Heidfeld) is an extremely experienced driver and we are confident that his racing knowledge and technical feedback will prove extremely useful to Pirelli and therefore of benefit to the sport as a whole.”
A month ago, the Formula One Management have conferred Pirelli as the official F1 tyres for next season. As Pirelli prepares for its return to Formula One, Heidfeld will have the tasks to perform a series of tests beginning in August to assist with Pirelli's development work on the tyre compounds to be used by the Formula One teams in 2011.
