No 16 - Nick Heidfeld
Date of birth: 10/05/1977
Place of birth: Monchengladbach, Germany
Lives: Near Lake Zurich, Switzerland
Marital status: Single
Height: 1.64m
Weight: 59kg
Driven for:
Prost (2000)
Sauber (2001-2003)
Jordan (2004)
Williams (2005)
BMW Sauber (2006)
Website:
http://www.adrivo.com/nickheidfeld/
Biography
1995 Runner-up in the German Formula Ford Championship.
1997 German Formula 3 Champion.
1999 FIA International Formula 3000 Champion with West team, also McLaren test driver.
2000 Makes his debut with the Prost team. No points scored.
2001 Now with Sauber, scores 12 points and ends up eighth in the Drivers' Championship.
2002 A fourth, a fifth and two sixth places in his second season with Sauber. He finishes tenth in the Drivers' Championship.
2003 Qualifies in the top ten three times and scores six points. Dropped by Sauber for 2004.
2004 Tough season with Jordan brings just three points. However, goes on to win Williams drive for 2005.
2005 Upstages highly-rated Williams team mate Mark Webber by taking pole at the Nurburgring and beating the Australian to second place in Monaco. Ahead of Webber in standings after 14 rounds, but misses last five races through illness and injury. Quits team to join BMW's new works squad for 2006.
Little was heard of Nick Heidfeld outside of his German homeland until he started to turn heads in the national F3 series.
Sharing a birthplace with fellow Monchengladbach boy Heinz-Harald Frentzen, the young Heidfeld began, like so many others, in karting. He made his debut, aged nine, in 1986, and used his formative years to build the experience necessary to win titles. Although these were slow to come in karting, Heidfeld held enough promise to be selected for both the World and European championships in 1991, and finished fifth in the German series a year later.
Another World Karting Championship entry in 1993 preceded the jump to cars, as Nick made his debut in the 1994 German FFord series. Eight wins in nine starts gained the attention of the German media as he won the 1600cc class, and set the youngster up for the move to higher things. The following year saw him finish as runner-up in the overall standings, with a maiden championship title in the concurrent German Zetec series.
1996 saw a move to the German F3 championship, and Heidfeld made an immediate impact by claiming third overall behind future F1 rival Jarno Trulli and sometime CART driver Arnd Meier. The following year, Nick made sure that the title was his, although a mid-season hiccup kept the public in suspense for longer than it anticipated.
F3000 was the logical progression for 1998, and Heidfeld stunned again by remaining in the running for the title right to the end. His rival on this occasion was Juan Montoya, and the pair shared seven wins from the 12 races contested.
While Montoya went off to America in search of CART glory, Heidfeld followed the tried and tested path of a second year in each formula. This time, he had little opposition as he romped to the F3000 title, seizing the trophy well before the end of the year, and almost certainly securing himself a place in the top flight.
Given his involvement with the McLaren-backed West Competition squad, and his F1 testing duties, many expected Heidfeld to be squeezed into the Woking operation's grand prix team. This didn't materialise, but such was the impact he created on the F1 paddock, that he was not short of offers, with Prost his eventual destination.
Nick lined up alongside veteran Jean Alesi at Alain Prost's team, but poor testing results were only the start of a long, hard season for the German. Unlike some of his rookie rivals, however, the pressure was not as heavy on the German and, despite not scoring a point and generally being overshadowed by Alesi, he was able to slip easily into alternative employment with Sauber for 2001.
Testing times with both the older C19 and new C20 promised much for Heidfeld, and the German was on the pace from the very first race. Surprisingly, the Swiss team did not fade away mid-season, and both Heidfeld and rookie team-mate Kimi Raikkonen were able to ruffle the feathers of the established midfield giants.
Between them, the youngest duo on the grid racked up 21 points, good enough for fourth in the constructors' series, while Heidfeld got marginally the better of Raikkonen in the drivers' standings, taking eighth overall with twelve points, including a podium finish in Brazil.
It was with some amazement, therefore, that Raikkonen was the man summoned by McLaren to replace the retiring Mika Hakkinen - despite Heidfeld's links with the team during his junior career.
The oversight - as Heidfeld likes to refer to the decision - meant he had much to prove during 2002. The Sauber C21 though didn't have the same impact as the C20, and despite some good performances the Swiss team couldn't match their fantastic fourth place in the constructors' championship. Fifth overall though was a good effort, the outfit scoring 11 points in total, 7 courtesy of Nick.
Heidfeld's best result came at the Spanish GP in April, when he finished fourth behind Michael Schumacher, Juan Montoya and David Coulthard. The German also consistently beat his new team-mate, Felipe Massa, out-racing him 10-4, and out-qualifying him 12-5.
Nick's third successive season with Sauber [2003] was on the whole a largely disappointing campaign. The main highlight was a fifth place at the United States GP, that along with an eighth place finish at the European GP, was as good as it got, and marked the German's only points scoring positions. He ended the season with 6 points in total, joint 14th in the drivers' championship.
The following year - 2004 - brought a change of scene for the German and having been dropped by Sauber he joined Jordan - a deal eventually confirmed at the end of January. Jordan though had another difficult season, and while Heidfeld persevered - much to his credit, as the EJ14, wasn't up to much, it was for little reward.
His efforts though were noted by most down the pit-lane, however, and, despite his best results coming in the early part of the season, with seventh at Monaco and eighth in Canada, the Heidfeld reputation was largely restored.
Denied the chance to move to Williams as replacement for the injured Ralf Schumacher mid-season, and left to take 16th overall with three points in 2004, Heidfeld finally got his chance to move to Grove after a shoot-out with test driver Antonio Pizzonia left him to partner Mark Webber for the 2005 season.
Unfortunately for Heidfeld, it was to be a difficult season for the Williams team, with a public divorce from engine suppliers BMW and a lack of pace compared to the front runners on the grid. Despite that, the German driver managed to bring his car home on the podium on three occasions, taking third in Malaysia before back-to-back second place finishes in Monaco and at the Nurburgring – where he also took a surprise pole position. However points would only be scored on two other occasions and Heidfeld saw his time with the team come to an early end when he picked up an injury which forced him to miss the final four races of the year.
With uncertainty over his future thanks to the 'Buttongate' saga, Heidfeld elected to move to the new BMW team for 2006 before the announcement that Button wouldn't be joining Williams, so the German will hope to prove that his decision to move wasn't a hasty one as he partners Jacques Villeneuve for the new season.
Still highly regarded throughout the paddock, Heidfeld will be looking to score points on a regular basis and will hope to improve on his eleventh place in the standings come the end of the season in Brazil.
Statistics - Prior to 2006 Season
Drivers' Titles: 0
Seasons in F1: 6
Grand Prix: 97
Wins: 0
Points: 56
Poles: 1
Fastest Laps: 0
Best result in 2005: 2nd (Monaco & Europe)
Best qualifying 2005: Pole (Europe)
Worst qualifying 2005: 18th (Spain)
Average grid position: 9.7
2005: Out-qualified Mark Webber 5 times
2005: Completed: 720 out of 830 laps (86.75%)
2005: Finished 9 times from 13 starts (69%)
No 17 - Jacques Villeneuve
Date of birth: 09/04/1971
Place of birth: St. Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
Lives: Monte Carlo
Marital status: Engaged to Elly
Height: 1.68m
Weight: 67kg
Driven for:
Williams (1996-1998
BAR (1999-2003)
Renault (2004)
Sauber (2005)
BMW Sauber (2006)
Website:
http://jv.flagworld.com/
Biography
1989 Makes his debut in Italian Formula Three.
1992 Moves to Japan and competes in Japanese Formula Three, finishing the championship in second place.
1994 Enters IndyCar, named 'Rookie Of The Year.' Finishes 6th overall with 94 points.
1995 After winning 4 races, including the Indianapolis 500, he becomes the youngest ever IndyCar World Champion. Signed by Williams to partner Damon Hill in 1996.
1996 Finishes 2nd in Australia in his debut Grand Prix with Williams. Runner-up behind Damon Hill in the Drivers' Championship.
1997 Takes 7 victories to win the Drivers' Championship and give WIlliams the Constructors' Championship.
1998 Stays with Williams. Finishes the championship 5th, with 2 podiums.
1999 First year with British American Racing. He scores no points.
2000 Villeneuve finishes 7th in the championship with 17 points.
2001 Two third places, in Spain and Germany, give BAR its first podium finishes. They also help Villeneuve to another 7th place in the Drivers' Championship, this time with 12 points.
2002 Villeneuve takes only four points, and finishes 12th in the Drivers' Championship.
2003 Generally out-performed by team mate Jenson Button. Scores just six points and leaves the team after the penultimate round in the United States.
2004 Makes an unexpected comeback with Renault for final three rounds following Jarno Trulli's departure. Signs to Sauber for full-time return in 2005.
2005 Makes fulltime return to the sport with Sauber. Struggles to match team mate Felipe Massa in first half of season but closes gap in the second, finishing year just two points behind the Brazilian. Retained by new team owners BMW for 2006.
Jacques Villeneuve came to Formula One with an impressive reputation, and a lot to live up to. His father Gilles was a star of the late '70s and early '80s, famed for his displays of all-or-nothing driving in often awful Ferraris. Jacques has generally got on with business quietly - and certainly less flamboyantly - than his father, but continues to be a firm favourite with the crowds.
Differing from the normal F1 driver in having no karting career, Jacques was a promising all-round sportsman at boarding school in Switzerland. Indeed, he could have made the Canadian downhill ski team had he not decided to pursue a career behind the wheel.
A high profile entry into the Italian Formula Three series produced little in the way of notable results and it was only three years later, when he moved to the Japanese F3 championship, that he began to convince insiders that he had the talent to progress further. Three wins in Japan sealed the runner-up spot in the 1992 championship, and saw Jacques return to North America to contest the Toyota-Atlantic series.
Another top three championship finish was achieved on the back of three wins, and led to a full-time Indycar season with the Forsythe-Green team. After climbing through the field as the season progressed, Jacques finally took his maiden Indycar win at Road America, and was deservedly awarded the 'Rookie of the Year' prize.
A second year with the renamed Team Green produced even greater results, with Jacques following success in the Indy 500 with the overall Indycar championship title. Four race wins in all brought him firmly into the running for a grand prix seat, and Williams duly signed him for the 1996 season.
Villeneuve stunned the F1 paddock by taking pole position on his debut in Australia and almost winning the race. Only a late problem prevented a remarkable double, but the Canadian went on to record four wins in his first season, and push team-mate Damon Hill close for the championship. The title was only decided at the final round, where a lost wheel caused an accident for Villeneuve and confined him to second overall.
The Formula One title was added to his Indycar crown in 1997 when he triumphed over season-long rival Michael Schumacher. Seven wins brought Villeneuve to the final round needing to beat the German to secure the crown, and the race came down to a battle between the two. The title was finally decided when Schumacher collided with the Williams in an attempt to prevent it passing his Ferrari. While the German retired, Villeneuve limped to the finish and the drivers' title.
Villeneuve remained at Williams for a third season in 1998, but his car proved to be no match for either the McLarens or Ferraris. He was continually linked to the nascent British American Racing team created by former manager Craig Pollock for 1999, but only moved after hauling the difficult Williams to several unexpected positions - including podiums in Germany and Hungary - towards the end of 1998.
The 1999 season promised to be an interesting one for the Canadian, as British American Racing geared up for its first taste of F1. Although testing had shown that the team's first car had potential, pre-season predictions of success left egg on many people's faces as it failed to score a single point all year.
Despite rumours that he was set to return to Williams, Villeneuve honoured his BAR contract in 2000. He said, however, that if the new Honda V10 did not turn around the team's fortunes, he would be off at the end of the season. Testing showed the car to be off the pace, but a whole lot more reliable than its predecessor, and some strong-arm drives allowed both Villeneuve and team-mate Zonta to rack up points on a regular basis during the year, beginning in Melbourne. There were no podiums, although Villeneuve racked up four fourth place finishes, but things were definitely brighter in the BAR camp.
A mid-season slump brought rumours of a move elsewhere to the fore - with Benetton the new favourite to pick up the Canadian's tab - but Villeneuve again decided to stay loyal to BAR and former manager Craig Pollock for 2001. Zonta left, however, replaced by experienced Frenchman Olivier Panis, fresh from a successful testing stint with McLaren.
The hard-headed Panis potentially had what it took to push Villeneuve to the limits in 2001, but it was still the Canadian who came out on top, taking the team's first podium finish in Spain and adding to it at Hockenheim.
The 003 was another disappointing car, however, and Villeneuve was once again linked to moves away from BAR. This time, though, the Canadian made up his mind quickly, and inked another extension to his contract.
All seemed well until mentor and team boss Craig Pollock announced his resignation on the eve of the official 2002 launch, leaving Prodrive boss David Richards to take charge.
JV though stayed on, despite being visibly upset by the news. The BAR-Honda 004 was however again well off the pace and the Brackley based team didn't score a point until mid-season, at the British GP in July. There, Villeneuve came home fourth, with team-mate Panis fifth. It was one of only two promising races for the Canadian, the other the USA GP, where Jacques qualified seventh and came home sixth. Other than that a couple of seventh places was as good as it got. All in all, JV retired on eight occasions and only qualified in the top ten six times.
Throughout the year there were persist rumours the Canadian might be forced out, and new team boss Richards made it clear he thought Jacques was getting paid too much to the detriment of the team. Villeneuve though hung on, and with a contract continued at the outfit in 2003.
His final season with BAR though was far from a vintage year, and in the end most reckoned he had been outperformed by new team-mate Jenson Button. At the end of the season, BAR announced that they wouldn't be retaining him, and as a result, JV left one race early, making way for Honda favourite, Takuma Sato.
2004 was spent mostly on the sidelines, looking to secure a comeback for 2005.
That opportunity came early though, when Renault fell out with Jarno Trulli, meaning Jacques could make his comeback three races early. His time with Renault was pretty uninspiring though, and yielding one eleventh place finish and two tenths.
Despite this though, Sauber had already committed to the Canadian, signing him on a two-year deal for 2005/6. Judging by his form with Renault - or lack of it - many questioned Peter Sauber's decision to go for the former champion over a younger less experienced driver and the initial suggestion once the season got underway was that the team may have got it wrong as the Canadian driver struggled in the opening three races of the year.
A fourth place finish at San Marino was the undoubted highlight of the first half of the season although points would only follow on two more occasions – in France and Belgium. Towards the end of the season, there were flashes of the old Villeneuve and having done enough to secure his seat with BMW for next season – when rumours had suggested he could have had his contract paid off in favour of a younger driver – Villeneuve will be keen to show he is still capable of doing a job in F1.
With a new crop of young drivers coming through the ranks, it's fair to say that 2006 could well be Villeneuve's final chance – and it is imperative that he takes it if he wants to be in the running for a drive for 2007 and beyond.
Statistics - Prior to 2006 Season
Drivers' Titles: 1
Seasons in F1: 10
Grand Prix: 152
Wins: 11
Points: 228
Poles: 13
Fastest Laps: 9
Best result in 2005: 4th (San Marino)
Best qualifying 2005: 4th (Australia)
Worst qualifying 2005: 18th (Turkey)
Average grid position: 12.3
2005: Out-qualified Felipe Massa 6 times
2005: Completed: 1033 out of 1107 laps (93.32%)
2005: Finished 15 times from 18 starts (83%)
