Heidfeld Rues Costly Penalty

German Nick Heidfeld was disappointed after finishing in tenth position at the Spanish Grand Prix, completing a tough weekend for the Sauber team.

Heidfeld was penalised for blocking Toyota driver Cristiano da Matta while the Brazilian was trying to lap him, but the Sauber driver claimed he did not know he was a lap down until his team told him on the radio.

"Towards the end of the race I was fighting in a group with Button and Firman and da Matta," explained Heidfeld. "I got Button in the pit stop and then saw da Matta coming out of the pit exit as I went by. There weren't any blue flags for four laps, so what could I do?

"I was fighting in the same group for four laps. Then the team told me on the radio that da Matta was a lap ahead, so of course I moved over, but the next lap I got a drive-through penalty.

"It was really frustrating. It was a tough race for me because in the first stint the car was really oversteering; the tyres were massively better in the second stint, but then the last set was difficult again. Altogether, a hard weekend for me."

Heidfeld's teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen was also unable to score for Sauber after retiring with a mechanical problem on lap 39.

"Unfortunately at the start I was on the side of the track where Coulthard and Trulli collided and lost a lot of time as a result," said Frentzen. "Then the safety car came out immediately so we decided to make my first pit stop at the end of the opening lap.

"After my second, on lap 30, the car felt really great and I could make up quite a bit of time. But then the left front suspension pushrod broke just as I went over a kerb and that was the end of the race for me."