BMW Praise Heidfeld's Fantastic Drive on Wet

Nick Heidfeld benefited from a great team strategy and lots of luck to clinch his first podium finish this year, in Malaysia. However, it wasn't only that to boost Heidfeld all the way into second place – starting from a poor 10th place on the grid – but also his driving abilities on wet.

As argued by BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen, Heidfeld's podium finish was very much the result of him struggling to stay on track once the heavy rain started pouring down the Malaysian circuit. Theissen insisted Heidfeld was simply fantastic controlling an undriveable car until the race was finally red-flagged.

“We expected wet weather conditions so we sent him out on a high fuel load and he was just able to stay out until the rain came. It meant he could do it on one pit stop, which was a very good strategy. Then in the wet, I have to say Nick did a fantastic job. He had been on his wet tires for very long already when it really poured down, and the car was undriveable,” said Theissen after the race.

“We were ready all the time to service him, but he decided lap after lap to stay out, and he finally managed it until the red flag. That was the key then to P2 - and it tells a lot not just about Nick's experience but also his driving capabilities in the wet. That was really very good,” added the German official.

Heidfeld's second place finish in Malaysia was BMW's first – and, so far, only – point-scoring performance this season. Both the German driver and Robert Kubica failed to make the scoreboard in Australia, while the latter paid tribute to an engine problem in the very first lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix to register his second consecutive DNF this year.