Jordan Urges Williams to Sign Heidfeld

Team boss Eddie Jordan has urged Williams to consider his driver Nick Heidfeld for next season.

"I think Nick would be a brilliant choice. If Williams lose both its drivers, which now looks likely, Nick would be a perfect guy," Jordan told Reuters at the Spanish Grand Prix on Friday.

"He's a consummate professional and I'd be very happy for us to get him in there. They'd be crazy not to be talking to him."

BMW-powered Williams, last season's runners-up to Ferrari, have a list of candidates to replace Juan Pablo Montoya after the Colombian signed a contract to join McLaren in 2005.

Germany's Ralf Schumacher - who started his career with Jordan before moving to Williams - could also be leaving at the end of the year with speculation linking him to Toyota.

Jaguar's Australian Mark Webber is seen as the frontrunner but plenty of drivers - including former champion Jacques Villeneuve - could be in the frame for the most desirable vacancy in Formula One. Heidfeld joined Jordan from Sauber at the start of the year.

Invisible Man

The German, a McLaren test driver in 1998 and 1999 when Finland's Mika Hakkinen was World Champion for the Mercedes-powered team, has little financial backing and his profile remains low despite four seasons in the sport.

"I promised him at the time when he came to Jordan that I'd change that," said Jordan. "He was with Sauber for a long time and it's not easy to be visible at McLaren when you're number three driver.

"To be fair to Sauber, they are a great bunch of people but not the world's biggest promotional agency."

Speculation about Heidfeld's future was heightened when Jordan announced this week that Dutchman Jos Verstappen, whose major sponsor Trust has linked up with the team, would be testing for them at Silverstone on June 1.

However, Jordan said that test had nothing to do with Heidfeld's position.

"It would be quite wrong to read anything into that," he said. "Nick is a first class driver. He's got no money behind him but I need a high quality driver. Nick is ready to win Grands Prix and should win Grands Prix. He's well capable of winning races."

Germany's Michael Schumacher, now a six times World Champion, made his Formula One debut with the team in Belgium in 1991 before being snapped up by Benetton before his next race.