Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs
Mid-season driver changes don’t happen often in Formula One, but they do happen occasionally. And the Sauber team – formerly owned by BMW – has done exactly that. After the bulk of a season of lackluster performance, the Swiss team has announced that it is removing Pedro de la Rosa from the cockpit for the grands prix left on the calendar.
In his place, Sauber has called Nick Heidfeld back up to the plate. Having spent seven seasons driving for Sauber in the past, scoring a dozen podiums along the way, Heidfeld is a known and proven talent at the team’s headquarters in Hinwil.
Despite his talents, the German driver failed to secure a race seat for the 2010 season, and was retained instead by Mercedes as a test driver. He was subsequently released from his contract with Mercedes when he was recruited by Pirelli to test its new tire compounds, but will likely have to give that up given his renewed ties to Sauber.
Heidfeld will be driving alongside Kamui Kobayashi, who despite having failed to finish more races than de la Rosa, has scored more than three times as many points. With 27 world championship points and five races to go, Sauber sits in 8th place out of 12 in the constructors’ championship standings, just ahead of Toro Rosso and the new teams. Will Heidfeld help the team turn around from the backmarkers they are now to the title contenders they were just a couple of seasons ago? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, or follow the jump for the team’s official announcement.
[Source: Sauber]
Continue reading Heidfeld in, de la Rosa out at Sauber F1
Heidfeld in, de la Rosa out at Sauber F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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