BMW Sauber retain Heidfeld and Kubica

[ArrowsFA1]

BMW Sauber have ended months of speculation about Nick Heidfeld's future by confirming that the German will remain alongside Robert Kubica at the team next year.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61652

Great news for Nick :up: He seems to have been around in F1 for years, but it looks as if he's finally settled into the break his talent deserves. That Prost must seem a long time ago now :p

BMW have a very good and settled driver pairing. Regular podiums and a win or two in 2008 perhaps...?

[janneppi]

It's good that Heidfeld got the job, he's been a sort of quiet workhorse for years when could have a bigger impact, I'm sure he didn't agree with Ron Dennis when he chose Kimi as a driver instead of him. :)

This season he's been up there with the big boys and even showing he's a racing driver at times.

And with that silly beard, he'll be a regular character in sniffpetrol for years. :D

[Cozzie]

Great news. If BMW can deliver a competitive car they could be real contenders in 2008.

[Ranger]

Good choice by BMW, the best they could have made IMO.

[Hawkmoon]

It's the right move for BMW.

Does that mean that Renault is Alonso's only competitive option if he does leave the good ship Ron?

[leopard]

Amid Alonso's fever at the McLaren and discussion about possibility going out at this year's end, BMW said that they have no interest on Alonso and aren't enough convinced with the two title holder that he would be the right choice.

They might feel comfortable enough with their current drivers, running the top three, and valuing Alonso isn't as high as what have McLaren given.

[Rudy Tamasz]

I have an impression that Nick is doomed to be a workhorse forever while others will enjoy the fruits. This may be bad luck or something but his former teammates Massa and Raikkonen both went on to take multiple wins and be title contenders while he's happy to finish on podium occasionally. With him onboard BMW maiden win is postponed indefinitely.

[Sleeper]

I have an impression that Nick is doomed to be a workhorse forever while others will enjoy the fruits. This may be bad luck or something but his former teammates Massa and Raikkonen both went on to take multiple wins and be title contenders while he's happy to finish on podium occasionally. With him onboard BMW maiden win is postponed indefinitely.
I think your right about Heidfeld, but remember that Massa only really got to where he is because his managers name is Todt.

As for BMW's maiden win, Kubica will get that.

[jso1985]

good news for Nick, if BMW is gonna get it right and make a winning car I think it's going to be either next year or in 2009. He may finally have a chance to win a race or he might break De Cesaris record of most starts and no wins :eek:

[jens]

I'm really happy for both of the drivers. :up:

I think that Ron should have hired both Räikkönen and Heidfeld for 2002. I think that with such pairing McLaren might have won WCC's both in 2003 and 2005... pure assumption, of course, but this is the way I imagine it. But Nick didn't get his chance there. Williams was expected to be a great chance, but the car turned out to be not-so-good. Now at the age of 30 with a multiple-year-contract with BMW everything looks possible in the future.

And Kubica - despite having scored less points than Nick - has shown to have as much potential as the German and it would be really hard to predict, which one of them will come out on top next year - maybe they'll decide the WDC between themselves. :p :


[URL]Regular podiums and a win or two in 2008 perhaps...?

So modest? :p : I believe BMW may well win both of the titles next year.

IMO there seem to be just two options about 2008 title battles :p :
BMW vs McLaren (if the departure of Team MS - also Todt leaves after this year - turns out to have serious consequences for Ferrari)
or
BMW vs Ferrari (if the internal rows and the espionage scandale - also the loss of the chief designer - turns out to have a serious effect for McLaren)

BMW might beat both Ferrari and McLaren in 2008, who have already shown some weaknesses, whereas everything seems to be working perfectly at BMW. Also not impossible to have a three-way-battle for the titles in 2008, but it has happened quite rarely. So if anyone fails to participate in the title race among those three, I'd bet it won't be BMW.

[Blackburn Buccaneer]

heidfeld seems to be one, who does his talking on the track.
good for him.

[stevie_gerrard]

The line-up is perfect for the team for now, these two are doing a wnderful job with the car and pushing it to the absolute limit, getting out the great results. :)

[leopard]

Although BMW retain their best driver for 2008, I can't see yet with this formation they would be seriously challenging the title and would be able to beat either Ferrari or McLaren, maybe later they will.

Actually if they want to be at higher place than currently they can fish Alonso in the troubled waters with an amount less than Alonso got from Mclaren. In this such conflict of favoritism on Hamilton I think Alonso would greatly considers the offer.

Ferrari is the closer team than McLaren they can beat if only they fail to consolidate the team internally. Hoping the espionage scandal would trouble McLaren I'd rather think it was a wishful thinking, it may on the other hand lead them to the worse place and BMW takes over its place.

Unless an extra ordinary happens, I predict the title 2008 will remain the battle between McLaren and Ferrari.

[wmcot]

BMW/Sauber are wise to keep the stability in their team, especially with two quick drivers. (Toyota should learn from them - Salo/McNish, Panis/daMatta, Schumacher/Trulli??? Fire the drivers, it must be the drivers!)

[trumperZ06]

:dozey: I guess BMW thinks they are still a year or two away...

so, it makes sense... keeping 30 year old Heidfeld aboard to futher develop the car.

:D Not so Quick Nick... will keep the BMW seat warm for Sebastian Vettel

who can learn at Berger's expense. Looks like good planning for all... except Toro Rosso.

[Kevincal]

Both are great drivers with great personalities. I'm beginning to become a fan of BMW. :)