Analysis: BMW to face tough driver choice

Although Heidfeld was originally announced back in 2005 as having a deal that ran through until the end of 2008, autosport.com has learned that the final year of the contract is in fact only an option.

That much became clear at last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix when rumours in Germany linked Heidfeld with a move to Toyota next year.

Toyota may have moved swiftly to deny the reports, but the wise money was on the story being leaked by his sharp manager Werner Heinz to make it clear to the world that Heidfeld could be a free agent for 2008 - at a time when his stock is very high.

If Heidfeld keeps performing as well as he is doing now, having outqualified and outraced Robert Kubica in both events so far this year, there would appear to be little reason for BMW Sauber not to take up his option.

However, BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen is known to be keen to want to do all he can for his protege Sebastian Vettel. And the general expectation was that Theissen would slot in the German alongside the contracted Kubica for 2008 if Heidfeld had been outshone this year.

Heidfeld is clearly making such a move difficult to justify for Theissen, who looks set to be faced with the difficult decision of what to do with both Heidfeld and Vettel.

When asked by autosport.com whether Heidfeld's performances were making life hard for him, Theissen said: "If my only problem is to have too many strong drivers, then I am happy."

Theissen will likely have to sit and wait for a while to see whether Heidfeld can maintain his strong form - and whether Kubica can respond or not.

And after retiring from the opening two Grands Prix, Theissen is confident that Kubica will start delivering his full potential soon.

"I have said to him that he was twice unlucky now," explained Theissen. "The upside now is that the next race is only a week away, so his luck will change.

"I think he was just unlucky in Malaysia. In qualifying we sent him out a few seconds too late. He was ahead of Nick for the entire weekend up to then, so it can just turn around quickly."

Should Heidfeld continue to dominate his teammate, then one possible solution for Theissen would be to keep Heidfeld next season but loan Vettel out to another team for 2008.

The obvious choice would be Scuderia Toro Rosso, because Vettel has links with Red Bull. However, the team's co-owner Gerhard Berger has made it clear that he would only be interested in such an arrangement for the longer term.

"This is not going to happen," said Berger about Vettel being loaned for just one year. "We will not take him for one year only to then have to give him back."