Heidfeld Discussed Renault Contract in 2010

Nick Heidfeld's signing with Renault for the 2011 Formula 1 season didn't come as such a shocker for the German driver, as it seems the 33-year old had previously flirted with the opportunity to join the Enstone based team a few months back.

When Renault was still testing the drivers market for the 2011 campaign – with Vitaly Petrov waiting to find out his future with Eric Boullier's team – Heidfeld was one of the drivers on their list. Despite some talks between the two parties though, Lotus Renault preferred to stick with their Russian driver for the 2011 and 2012 campaigns.

“I know the people in charge of the team very well, because during the 2010 season I talked with them about coming here for 2011,” admitted Heidfeld in a recent interview with Sport Bild magazine.

Coincidentally or not, the driver whom he will replace at Renault, Robert Kubica, is the same one with whom he shared the BMW Sauber garage for a bunch of seasons. However, the German insisted he would have been just as happy to retain his seat with Sauber at the end of the 2010 season, a campaign which he started midway through the year, when he replaced Pedro de la Rosa.

“I was disappointed when I went no further with Sauber at the end of 2010. But I believed firmly that my career was not yet over, which is why I trained harder than usual in the winter. In the longer term I still want to win the world championship. I won't be put off from my goal,” he added.