 Heidfeld (right) and Pizzonia face an anxious wait at Williams |
BMW Williams should give their vacant 2005 seat to Nick Heidfeld rather than Antonio Pizzonia, according to two leading former Grand Prix drivers. Three-time champion Niki Lauda and his fellow Austrian Gerhard Berger have backed the German's claim.
Berger said: "Most people underestimate Nick. Up until now he's not had much chance to show what he can really do."
Lauda added: "If BMW make a good car, Heidfeld can become Germany's new number two (after Michael Schumacher)."
Lauda said Heidfeld, who has driven for Prost, Sauber and Jordan in a career spent in mediocre cars, needed to be more pushy.
"Nick's only problem is that he always sells himself short. He must learn that sometimes you can open your mouth," he told German newspaper Bild. Australian Mark Webber, who had a tempestuous relationship with Pizzonia when they were team-mates at Jaguar in 2003, is Williams' only confirmed driver for 2005
A third Austrian former Formula One name, McLaren reserve driver Alexander Wurz, said an all-German Heidfeld-BMW partnership would make "a lot of sense".
"I think Nick could genuinely become a winner, with a good car anda little bit of time," Wurz said.
"To be honest, I don't see a huge difference between Webber and Heidfeld."
Pizzonia, Williams' test and reserve driver, and Heidfeld have done a series of tests together this winter, and team owner Frank Williams has said it is very difficult to choose between them.
MMIX
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I don't see a huge difference between Webber and Heidfeld 