Formula One News

Formula One News » Pirelli confirms Heidfeld as official test driver Posted on 17/08/2010

Nick Heidfeld has been named as Pirelli’s official test driver as the Italian firm prepares for its return to F1 for the first time in 20 years.

Heidfeld, who has been released by Mercedes after agreeing to become the Brackley-based outfit’s reserve driver back in February, will use Toyota’s F1 car from last year, the TF109, for the development tests.

The 33-year-old will drive the car in a series of test sessions on several different circuits from August onwards, beginning today with a two-day stint at Mugello.

“It’s a great privilege for me to join Pirelli in order to carry out this vital work and I am very grateful to Mercedes GP Petronas for releasing me from my contract to take on this role,” said Heidfeld, who raced in F1 up until the end of last year, having spent ten seasons in the sport during which he started over 150 races, scored 219 points and stood on the podium a dozen times.

“Through the experience I have built up over the years, I’m confident that I will be able to provide Pirelli with some important feedback regarding the development of next year’s tyres. I’ve got a lot to give but I haven’t been driving so much this year, so it is good to get started! Together, I’m sure that we can create a dynamic range of tyres that will make F1 an even more exciting sport in the future.”

Pirelli, which concluded a three-year agreement with the FIA last month to become the sole tyre supplier to the FIA F1 World Championship from 2011, is delighted to have secured Heidfeld’s services and reckons his input be ‘vital’ as its fine-tunes the specification of the four compounds, two of which will be used in each race next year, as per the current regulations.

Furthermore it believes the decision to use the Toyota TF109 is a good one, as it will allow it to work with ‘contemporary technology’, but also ensures it doesn’t hand an advantage to any current team.

“We’re delighted to welcome Nick into the Pirelli family, and we’re confident that he’ll do a great job for us,” added Pirelli’s motorsport director, Paul Hembrey. “The role of test driver is a crucial one, so we were looking for a driver who had plenty of recent F1 experience, the speed to push our new tyres as hard as possible, and the consistency to provide reliable simulations, as well as the analytical skills to relay information accurately to our engineers.

“Nick fits the bill in every respect and we’re very pleased to have secured his services and obviously thankful to Mercedes GP Petronas for agreeing to release Nick from his contract.

“The Toyota was the perfect solution, as it is a contemporary racing machine with proven speed and reliability but without links to any of the manufacturers currently competing in F1. I’m confident that we have an extremely good package that will give us every opportunity to maximise the potential of our tyres prior to the start of next season.”

Following Heidfeld’s on-track work with the Toyota TF109, all the current F1 teams will get the chance to test the new tyres after the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.

Pirelli has pledged to develop new tyres that will not only cater for the needs of the teams, but also the wishes of the fans, who want to see close and exciting racing.

“The tyre development work will focus on finding the delicate compromise needed between performance, durability and spectacle,” the Italian manufacturer concluded.