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[bmwpower]

WTF is going on? He's a damn good driver yet he can't even find his way back to Sauber? His chances of signing with a good team was shot with Micheal came back but to also be beaten by Heikki, Fischella, De La Rosa, and Trulli? Now there's only talk of a test role with Mercedes, trully sad for a great talent.

[scotty]

He should find a drive no probs, he's the best available driver by a fair margin...

[headless]

He should go out and find one himself

[darwin dali]

WTF is going on? He's a damn good driver yet he can't even find his way back to Sauber?

[Hanwombat]

In my basement

[Hexagram]

Heidfeld's best ability is he can score points. He has excellent race craft. If you see rain watch out for Heidfeld! He will nick your points.

He also gives superb feedback about a car when racing it. Was listening to him during the Monaco practice sessions this year. He was giving so much feedback about what was wrong with the car and maybe what can be done about it. Kubica? Moan, moan, moan.

It will be a pity if he isn't on the grid for the 2010 season.

[Rivelution]

It will be a pity if he isn't on the grid for the 2010 season.

[myownalias]

Maybe he will find himself alongside moaning Moany Kubica again at Renault; the second seat is still vacant isn't it?

[LifeW12]

He holds the record for most consecutive classified finishes

[bmwpower]

This is a shame, a driver of his talent and work ethics is delegated down to test driver

[cap-dude]

http://en.espnf1.com/mercedes/motorspor ... /7233.html

"Nick wants to concentrate fully on his job as test driver and support the regular drivers with his experience," Heidfeld's manager Andre Theuerzeit told Auto Bild. "Nick had focused on having a [race] cockpit with the top teams, but their decisions were rather late. So we've gone for another opportunity."

Whether it's perfectly true are not is another thing. But I agree 100%

Heidfeld should have a drive for next year. He's a lot better than a lot of the names I hear being thrown around. I mean, Petrov, Jose Maria Lopez, De La Rosa, yet Heidfeld nowhere to be found. Are they forgetting that Heidfeld is quick, consistent and gives great technical feedback. Why he didn't just cut his loses with Mercedes and aim for the seat at Sauber I don't know. It seems he's not going to Renault either, but honestly he should. It'd be a crime not to see him on the grid next year.

[suitcase]

http://en.espnf1.com/mercedes/motorsport/story/7233.html

"Nick wants to concentrate fully on his job as test driver and support the regular drivers with his experience," Heidfeld's manager Andre Theuerzeit told Auto Bild. "Nick had focused on having a [race] cockpit with the top teams, but their decisions were rather late. So we've gone for another opportunity."

Whether it's perfectly true are not is another thing. But I agree 100%

Heidfeld should have a drive for next year. He's a lot better than a lot of the names I hear being thrown around. I mean, Petrov, Jose Maria Lopez, De La Rosa, yet Heidfeld nowhere to be found. Are they forgetting that Heidfeld is quick, consistent and gives great technical feedback. Why he didn't just cut his loses with Mercedes and aim for the seat at Sauber I don't know. It seems he's not going to Renault either, but honestly he should. It'd be a crime not to see him on the grid next year.

I think he deserves to be with Renault and not just a test driver...he's better than that!

[bmwpower]

http://en.espnf1.com/mercedes/motorsport/story/7233.html

"Nick wants to concentrate fully on his job as test driver and support the regular drivers with his experience," Heidfeld's manager Andre Theuerzeit told Auto Bild. "Nick had focused on having a [race] cockpit with the top teams, but their decisions were rather late. So we've gone for another opportunity."

Whether it's perfectly true are not is another thing. But I agree 100%

Heidfeld should have a drive for next year. He's a lot better than a lot of the names I hear being thrown around. I mean, Petrov, Jose Maria Lopez, De La Rosa, yet Heidfeld nowhere to be found. Are they forgetting that Heidfeld is quick, consistent and gives great technical feedback. Why he didn't just cut his loses with Mercedes and aim for the seat at Sauber I don't know. It seems he's not going to Renault either, but honestly he should. It'd be a crime not to see him on the grid next year.

I think he deserves to be with Renault and not just a test driver...he's better than that!

Because Heidfeld is a non-paying driver, unlike some on the grid that actually have to pay for their ride through sponsorships or cash, Heidfeld like the rest of the top drivers are paid drivers. Both Sauber and Renault are looking for sponsorship money and cash but I think Heidfeld is counting on Micheal not making and struggle this year and he has a chance to take over the Mercedes seat next year or maybe with the top three but time is running out for him with his age.

[texasmr2]

Another article I found;

At Mercedes.....reserve
Heidfeld accepts Mercedes GP reserve role

Sat, 23 Jan 15:00:34 2010
Crash.net

Nick Heidfeld will complete an all-German ‘super team’ alongside countrymen Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes Grand Prix in F1 2010, his manager has confirmed – a move that could bring down the curtain on the career of one of the best drivers never to actually win a race in the top flight.

Heidfeld made his bow at the highest level with Prost Grand Prix in 2000, with a burgeoning reputation as the reigning International F3000 (now GP2 Series) champion. However, a poor car during his maiden campaign left that reputation somewhat battered and bruised, and subsequent stints at Sauber and Jordan merely left him treading water as a career that arguably should have taken off went into neutral.

There were flashes of form at Williams in 2005, and his four years spent at BMW-Sauber from 2006 to 2009 yielded eight rostrum finishes – but sadly no grand prix victory. A consistent performer – witness his records for the most consecutive race classifications at 41, and most finishes in a season with 18 in 2008 – who has often been rated as one of the most underrated drivers in the field, Heidfeld’s inability to adapt to Bridgestone’s new qualifying tyre in 2008 left him on the back foot and saw him come off second-best in comparison with emerging team-mate Robert Kubica.

Whilst honours between the pair were rather more even in 2009 – and ‘Quick Nick’ indeed outscored the Pole by 19 points to 17 – in many observers’ eyes, by that stage the damage had already been done, and when BMW announced that it was pulling the plug come season’s end, the man from Mönchengladbach was suddenly left seeking alternative employment.

Linked with the vacant berth at Renault alongside Kubica, Scuderia Toro Rosso and for a long time Mercedes itself – before it became apparent that the seat was being reserved for someone of altogether greater significance – it seems that Heidfeld has now pledged his future allegiance to the three-pointed star.

It was the Stuttgart manufacturer that supported him throughout many of the junior formulae but overlooked him in favour of then Sauber team-mate Kimi Raikkonen at the beginning of 2002, electing to snap up the Finn to replace his retiring compatriot Mika Hakkinen at McLaren-Mercedes. That moment was what many hold to be the pivotal turning-point when through no fault of his own, Heidfeld’s F1 career eschewed the ‘rising star’ route to instead head down the ‘journeyman’ path.

He is due to be officially presented in his new role when Mercedes’ F1 2010 challenger is launched on Monday (25 January), meaning his time on the grand prix grid may now have reached the end of the road at the age of just 32.

“Nick will fully concentrate on supporting [Mercedes’] main drivers as the team’s test and reserve driver,” his manager Andre Theuerzeit told German magazine Bild. “Nick focussed on a seat with one of the top teams, but unfortunately we were unable to sign him up”

[Rusko]

Such a shame that it looks like heidfeld won't be on the grid, he will be hoping schumi can't make a whole season.