And so it begins

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And so it begins

Written by Kate Walker

Monday, 25 January 2010 17:40

For multilingual Formula 1 fans, this weekend has been chock-full of gossip and intrigue.

The managers of both Nick Heidfeld and Jose Maria Lopez have announced that the two men are due to be confirmed as drivers – for Mercedes and USF1 respectively – on Monday.

A reserve driver seat may look to be a bit of a comedown for Heidi, but I don't think all is lost. As I have written previously, I am not sure that Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher's neck is likely to withstand the demands of a full 19-race season. Should that prove to be the case, Heidi's reserve seat may well be more of a job-share.

In an interview with Germany's Bild, Heidfeld's manager Andre Theuerzeit revealed that the reserve drive was never in the master plan. "Nick focused on a [non-reserve] seat with one of the top teams, but unfortunately we were unable to sign him up. Nick will fully concentrate on supporting the [Mercedes] team's main drivers as the team's test and reserve driver."

While it's a shame to see Heidi off the grid as a full-time driver, this could well be a shrewd move by the man and his manager. If Nick performs well when called to stand-in for either Nico Rosberg or Schuey, he could see a long-overdue profile boost that could give him the advantage in the next round of contract negotiations. As a reserve driver, collecting points is impressive enough. If Heidi could get his first win when driving as an understudy, it will go some way to proving those naysayers in the paddock to be wrong.

Merecedes GP's launch – the first of the 2010 season – is scheduled for today in Stuttgart. According to Theuerzeit, Nick Heidfeld will join Ross Brawn, Schuey, Rossberg, and other key figures from the new race outfit in the maiden display of car, livery, and team.

USF1 are also expected to today confirm that Argentine driver Jose Maria Lopez is the American outfit's first driver signing. This has been expected for so long that I can no longer remember when I first heard his name mentioned in association with the drive. Reuters this weekend quoted Lopez' manager, Miguel Mattos, as saying "everything has been agreed, and the official announcement will be made on Monday."

The weekend's announcements – which are still awaiting confirmation as I type – do not end there. It has become increasingly likely that Russian driver Vitaly Petrov will end up at Renault. The Vyborg Rocket comes with the irresistible combination of cash and talent. Rich Russians are very rich these days, and it makes sense that F1 and the oligarchs are beginning to feel each other out before committing to a long-term relationship.

Petrov came second to new Williams driver Nico Hulkenberg in the 2009 GP2 season, so it's reasonable to assume that he will be able to deliver given time to learn and adequate tools for the job. But for the cash-strapped Renault board and the new GenII Capital owners, a talented driver with €15 million for the kitty is like manna from heaven. Petrov's money comes from Russian gas outfit Gazprom and the Moscow-based Sberbank, and his association with Renault would improve the car manufacturer's visibility in the valuable Russian market.

Renault officials are understandably keen to deflect attention from Petrov's riches, insisting that if he is signed for the team it will be on the basis of his talent and potential. Speaking to ESPN1, Renault team principal Eric Boullier said: "People say we are only looking at Petrov because he is bringing a lot of money, but he is not the richest driver we are talking to. We must not forget he came second in the GP2 Championship in 2009. His talent alone is more than enough to secure him an F1 drive."

We really are in the final sprint for the start line now. If these reports are confirmed over the course of the day, there will be only three seats remaining for the 2010 grid. Toro Rosso finally put Jaime Alguersuari out of his misery when they confirmed his drive at the end of last week. Lopez's announcement leaves only one vacant seat at USF1. With Campos Meta still to announce their complete line-up for 2010, that makes two seats available in the new teams. Renault are still in discussions, and have said they are willing to press ahead with the car's launch without a full complement of drivers, but my money's on Petrov. Make of that what you will – I've been wrong before. Kate Walker for Girlracer Magazine www.girlracer.co.uk