2008 Drivers – Part 2/11: BMW

Nick Heidfeld

Nationality: German

DOB: 10/05/77

Races: 134

Wins: 0

Podums: 7

Pole Positions: 1

Total Career Points: 140

 

Robert Kubica

Nationality: Polish

DOB : 7/12/84

Races: 22

Wins: 0

Podiums: 1

Pole Positions: 0

Total Career Points: 45

 

Nick made his name in the German Formula Ford series in 1994, winning 8 out of 9 races to take the trophy. Various victories with Formula 3 led Heidfeld to his first race seat at the Prost F1 team. (Remember them?) Heidfeld failed to score, but spent three years at Sauber, collecting 25 points in the process.

In 2004, he had a disappointing season at Jordan (Remember them?), but scored 28 points for Williams in 2005. It was at Williams where Nick got his first, and to date, only pole position, at the European Grand Prix, just a few races after Malaysia, where he got his first podium finish. After Williams, he returned to Sauber, who by this time were now BMW Sauber and were a much stronger package. He scored 23 points in 2006, before hitting a personal best 61 points, and an impressive fifth-place finish in 2007. Competition this year will be harder, and BMW may have difficulty holding on to that second place finish.

PREDICTION: 7^th

Robert is a fairly new name on the Formula One atlas. Robert was test driver for BMW Sauber in 2006, but got an unexpected call-up to the second driver seat when Jacques Villeneuve complained of illness. In just his third race, at Monza, Kubica cemented his first podium finish with third place – a feat he has yet to repeat.

But Robert managed to impress in 2007, and finished a very respectable sixth, consistently finishing in the points positions. Now Robert has the knowledge of the tracks, there’s nothing to stop him getting his second podium, and perhaps even a race win in just his second full season.

PREDICTION: 6^th