Heidfeld surprised by BMW's turnaround

With the German having taken second place in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, as his team surprised with their strong pace in Melbourne, Heidfeld confessed that he thought all was lost after the troubled early tests of the car.

"Normally in F1, you take the car, you do the roll-out, and the first feeling is what you get for the year," said Heidfeld. "This was not the case this year, and it was the first time in my F1 career where it wasn't like this.

"The roll-out was a disaster. It was extremely difficult to drive, I hoped we could make it, I believed in the team as I do now, but from experience and what everybody says, the first test you know what you have."

Although Heidfeld believes it is too early to say just how strong a season BMW Sauber can have, he admits he is encouraged by their pace so far.

"You cannot take the Melbourne race as saying 100 percent this is how it is going to be, but of course it is the best indicator we have had so far," he explained.

"We are encouraged by what we have managed to do in such a short time. And at least now we haven't reached the curve yet where it becomes flatter.

"We have made big progress and I hope it continues, but the closer you get to the limit the less extreme the benefit will be."