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Nick Heidfeld: Back on Track

Nick Heidfeld sailed into F1 as the dominant F3000 champion and the protege of Mercedes. Somehow, it all went wrong and after five years in the bottom field, his career seemed to be over as every leading team passed him by. However, thanks to an error of judgement by Jenson Button, Heidfeld got a golden chance to revive his reputation and career at Williams - and he is making the most of it. Ironically, it may be Button that will also put a stop to it. Mark Glendenning followed the German in Monaco and the Nurburgring, and spoke to his very happy bosses

Mark Glendenning Jun 1, 2005, 12:36 PM

If you find a high vantage point and stand on your toes, you can just make out occasional glimpses of the top of his cap. Not much, but it's enough to trigger minor hysteria amongst the race day throng at the Nurburgring, because 24 hours earlier Nick Heidfeld put the BMW-Williams on pole for the first time in his career and now, two hours before the race, he is signing autographs near the BMW merchandise stand outside the circuit.

It's quite a scene, particularly when you consider that Heidfeld could very recently have walked through the same crowd wearing a cap and sunglasses and barely attracted a second glance. But much has happened in the past few months, and for the elfish 28-year-old, almost all of it has been good. His results, his reputation and his confidence are at an all-time high - as is his popularity, if this beer, wurst and sun-fuelled wave of Teutonic adoration is anything to go by.