Q&A with Nick Heidfeld

Nick, the first race is upon us. Are you excited?

I always enjoy coming to Australia. It’s my favourite place to travel to on the calendar because the people are relaxed and there’s always a warm atmosphere.

You’ve been with the team just over a month. How have you found things?

Right from the first test I have tried to push the car in the right direction and I’ve really enjoyed working with the team. I can have more input here than I was used to in other teams because everybody is very open and interested in what I have to say.

What sort of winter have you had?

You always have to put things in perspective when talking about testing. I think we have a quick car, but like every team on the grid we have had a few issues to cope with during the tests, especially in terms of reliability. This said, we’ve been able to develop some very promising elements.

Have you been able to judge the competitiveness of the R31?

We have an idea of where we stand, but nobody knows exactly. I think we have good performance in the car and, if everything is working well, I hope we can fight for podiums from the start of the season.

People say that a nice looking car can’t be slow…

Well, the answer to this one is in the question. The car is gorgeous. I know this is very subjective, but you have to see the R31 for real.

You’ve contributed to the Pirelli testing last year. Will it help you this season?

Not at all. I can’t even remember what we did then. (big smile)

What can we expect in Melbourne?

There are lots of unknowns, especially because it’s the first time we will race with the new adjustable rear wing, KERS and Pirelli tyres. I believe the tyres will have the biggest impact and will make the strategy quite exciting. I expect to see a lot more pit stops than in the past – at least three per race – and I believe the pit stop windows will be narrower. That’s because when the tyres degrade and lose performance, you have no choice but to pit, otherwise you lose too much time.