Mercedes sign up experienced Heidfeld as reserve driver

Mercedes GP have announced Nick Heidfeld as the team's test and reserve driver for the 2010 Formula One season.

Abu Dhabi Race Review: BMW

Abu Dhabi (UAE). Happy end to the last race for the BMW Sauber F1 Team: After a great race, Nick Heidfeld finished the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in fifth.

Mercedes seat would be 'dream' for Heidfeld

Nick Heidfeld says driving for Mercedes Grand Prix next year would be a "dream" but admits no deal is yet in place...  

Brawn rules out Schumacher return

• Nico Rosberg confirmed as first nominated Mercedes driver• Fellow German driver Nick Heidfeld likely to join RosbergMichael Schumacher's return to Formula One was effectively ruled out today when Nico Rosberg was confirmed as Mercedes-Benz's first nominated driver for next season's world championship.From the moment Jenson Button, having won the title for the team as Brawn, signed for McLaren last week there had been mounting speculation that Schumacher, who will be 41 next year, was considering a comeback to spearhead the official return of the "Silver Arrows" to grand prix for the first time since 1955.However, Ross Brawn, the Mercedes team principal, made it clear that Schumacher would not be picking up the threads of a full-time Formula One career that ended in 2006, even though he gave serious consideration to taking the role of temporary stand-in for the injured Felipe Massa at Ferrari this year. This plan was thwarted by a neck injury sustained earlier in the year in a motorcycle testing crash."The issue now haunts the media, I know," Brawn told the German newspaper Bild, "but there is nothing in it. The media are trying to put together a dream. Michael would have returned to the cockpit for Ferrari but only temporarily. He has no ambitions to start a new career."If we get a combination of two equally strong drivers, then the strategy will be different than if you have a winner like Michael. Following Button's move to McLaren, we will think differently. My desire is to find two experienced drivers. Nico Rosberg has more than three years in Formula One, so I count him to be experienced."Brawn seemed to be steering speculation in the direction of Nick Heidfeld, another German driver, and one with 167 grand prix starts under his belt. "I do not want a novice who must find his way around racetracks because we have very few opportunities to test drivers now. Performance without much practice is therefore the task. The good thing is we are not in a hurry."Formula OneMichael SchumacherBrawnMotor sportAlan Henryguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Mercedes to take over Brawn

• Mercedes to end its partnership with McLaren• Move could lead to Jenson Button joining McLarenMercedes-Benz today announced it was taking over the Brawn GP Formula One team while ending its partnership with McLaren.Mercedes engines powered Brawn's Jenson Button to the world championship in the recently completed season while the team also claimed the constructors' championship.They will now increase their involvement while Button has been strongly linked with a move to McLaren to team up with his fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton.Mercedes have taken a 75.1% controlling interest in Brawn, although they will continue to be the engine supplier to McLaren.The team principal, Ross Brawn, is expected to remain in his role but the future of his drivers is more uncertain.Button was recently shown around McLaren's Woking premises after reaching an impasse in his contract negotiations with Brawn.The 29-year-old had turned down a reported £4m contract offer – which represented a £1m rise on his current deal but was less than half of what he had earned with Brawn's forerunner, Honda.Button was widely lauded for accepting a £5m pay cut at the start of the 2009 season and expected his loyalty to have been rewarded after leading Brawn to two titles in their debut season.But Mercedes's new influence at Brawn could lead to the German-born Niko Rosberg being installed as lead driver, with BMW's Nick Heidfeld as his likely partner – allowing Button to pursue options elsewhere.That is most likely to be at McLaren, with the constructor's sponsors Vodafone happy to bankroll at least part of Button's wages if he were to form an all-English drivers' line-up alongside the 2008 champion, Hamilton.Yesterday the Mercedes Sports president, Norbert Haug, revealed he was attempting to secure Heidfeld, who has driven for BMW since 2006. "We are speaking with Nick Heidfeld as well," Haug told DPA. "Mercedes-Benz supports the idea of signing an experienced and capable German driver. There is, however, no reason to finalise the driver situation too hastily."BrawnMcLarenJenson ButtonFormula OneMotor sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Hamilton delighted by McLaren's latest design

Lewis Hamilton had his first taste here yesterday of the McLaren he hopes will carry him to the world championship this season, and pronounced himself satisfied.