Heidfeld to replace de la Rosa from Singapore
 |
| Nick Heidfeld |
09/14/10 (GMM) Another day has passed without confirmation that Pedro de la Rosa has lost his Sauber race seat.
Evening reports after Sunday's Italian grand prix suggested grand prix veteran and current Pirelli tire tester Nick Heidfeld will occupy the sister C29 alongside Kamui Kobayashi in Singapore and beyond.
De la Rosa and Peter Sauber have refused to comment.
And now German sources Die Welt newspaper and SID news agency quote Heidfeld's manager Andre Theuer as saying: "The only thing I can say is that I cannot say anything."
33-year-old Heidfeld, having attended the Monza event at the weekend, admitted that his new Pirelli role made him a sought-after figure in the paddock.
"I think it is obvious that this fact helps," said the German, who is the only driver to have tested next year's Pirelli tires.
"It is no secret that I'm not doing these tests for money but in order to pave my way back into a cockpit for 2011. That (knowledge) should be an asset for many teams," added Heidfeld.
09/13/10 (GMM) Peter Sauber has refused to comment on reports Pedro de la Rosa will not return to the wheel of his car for the rest of the 2010 season.
The authoritative Blick newspaper, well-connected with the Hinwil based team's 66-year-old founder and boss, said Nick Heidfeld will be driving the sister C29 alongside Kamui Kobayashi in Singapore in two weeks and beyond.
La Nueva Espana said that after Spaniard de la Rosa's post-race media rounds in the Monza paddock on late Sunday afternoon, the 39-year-old was called for a meeting with the team's management.
The report said the driver left the circuit immediately afterwards "with a scowl" and began his road journey back to his home in Zurich.
"He did not answer his phone," said the writer.
Peter Sauber also refused to comment: "I am not talking about my drivers," he said.
After not appearing in the Spa paddock two weeks ago, Heidfeld was inconspicuously present at Monza over the race weekend.
The report at lne.es said sources have confirmed that it is "99 per cent" certain the 33-year-old German will be racing in de la Rosa's place in Singapore.
09/13/10 (GMM) Sunday at Monza was Pedro de la Rosa's last grand prix with the Sauber team in 2010, according to a Swiss report.
The Blick newspaper, with close links to the Hinwil based team's chief Peter Sauber, said Nick Heidfeld will definitely be driving the Ferrari-powered C29 from now on, starting with the Singapore night race in two weeks.
The news will almost certainly result in Nick Heidfeld, who this year was formerly Mercedes' reserve driver, relinquishing his new role as test driver for the 2011 tire supplier Pirelli.
It will be the third Sauber tenure for German Heidfeld, 33, who also drove for the Swiss team in 2000-2003 and 2006-2009.
"This makes sense," wrote veteran Blick correspondent Roger Benoit, "because Sauber wants to make up the 20 point arrears to Williams, in order to finish the world championship in seventh position."
Compared with rookie teammate Kamui Kobayashi's 21 points, long-time McLaren test driver de la Rosa has scored just 6 points on his return to the F1 grid this season.