Q & A with Nick Heidfeld

Nick Heidfeld: I think from a tyre perspective it should suit the car better. Sometimes we are in a similar condition to the Brawn - just with the fact that the car is slower anyway. So we hope we will get the tyres working here.

The circuit itself doesn't suit the car ideally, if we look back to where we were at some other slow tracks. But on the other side since then, the car has changed quite a lot. I hope it suits the car for the tyres, and for the rest we will see. As we knew already a couple of weeks ago, we don't have a lot of updates here. The next big one is planned for Valencia, but we have a new front wing here - which is good as it was not planned. We also have some other minor updates.

Q. What is the verdict on where the car performance is, because the pace in the Nurburgring seemed a bit up and down?

NH: I get the feeling that over the last couple of races, or each second race where we had updates, we could have scored points. That was also the case at the Nurburgring, where we didn't do it but we had the pace so that might mean that here it could be a more difficult weekend for us again here, as other teams have some bigger updates than we have. But then again, it is a very tight and slow circuit here - very different to what we had over the last couple of race weekends.

Q. How much is car performance clouded by the tyre situation - because a lot of drivers and teams are complaining that car can be perfect one session and then struggle the next?

NH: I think it does have a huge effect. What is interesting is that both top teams, Red Bull and Brawn, who for sure have a lot of downforce available have completely different behaviour. So it is not only the downforce that helps makes the tyres work. It also is a bit surprising because I am sure when it was clear that we would choose slick tyres, they thought all the problems would be over. Unfortunately that is not the case with only one manufacturer on the tyre side. If we had the old situation (with a tyre war) things would look completely different. But it is the same for everybody, and some seem to be more suited to hotter or cooler conditions, so we have to try and make the best of it.

Q. Why do you think the form is fluctuating so much session to session, and when the temperature changes just a little bit?

NH: Well, especially on the hard tyres, in a higher working range, it is all about getting them to work or not. If they are not falling into this window, you are just massively slow. And a couple of degrees there can make a big difference.

Q. Is it something that needs addressing going forward?

NH: Well, I think this year, even more than normal, it seems to be very car related. Obviously some drivers are a bit better than others, but for me it is not like last year where I struggled with the tyres and Robert [Kubica] didn't. This year it is about the same for both, so it seems more like a car issue. Of course we are looking into it, but it is not easy.

Q. Are you surprised that your team has not got to the root of your problems this year?

NH: Well, sticking to the tyre issue I don't think the other teams have overcome this problem, or understood completely what the tyres are. Looking to the development, it depends on which phase of the year you look at.

It looks like McLaren has made a big step, especially judging by the last race. Ferrari had made a big step a couple of races ago. We made a big step at Barcelona, and since then it is a bit up and down. I hope that we will get to a stage where we also made a big leap forward. And I hope this might be the case in Singapore, where we expect a lot of new things - and I hope that will move us forward. But until then, we have another package in Valencia, but my hopes are more for Singapore.

Q. That is a long time to wait though...

NH: Yes, it is too long. But there is nothing we can do now. So there is no more to say.

Q. How important is experience for a driver these days? We have the youngest driver on the grid here, but Mark Webber winning the last race and Rubens Barrichello still on the grid.

NH: The most important thing is that you have talent and you have a good car. But obviously experience is always a gain if you use it to your advantage. But it is clear that it is not only experience that gains you a world championship. The fact that drivers start to become younger and younger is pretty normal, or easy to explain, because they just start younger in karting.

When I did Formula Ford and those sorts of things, you were only allowed to do it when you were 18 - now I think you are allowed to do it when you are 16. For me it is not so much about age - Mark won his race, but when Michael [Schumacher] won his last world championship he was not the youngest. Age is not that important.