Q&A with Nick Heidfeld

Seventh place in the race in Istanbul and six points for the team - what did you make of the last race?

NH: The race in Istanbul was good, we had good pace and I think generally we’ve got the speed to compete with the teams ahead. If we have stronger qualifying sessions, we’ll definitely give ourselves a good chance each Sunday. This is my main focus now.

You tested in Barcelona pre-season and you’ve raced there a number of times down the years. How do you like the Circuit de Cataluña?

NH: During testing, we had updates on some days and other teams brought some new parts on other days - it was difficult to draw too much from that experience. This time we will be bringing some more new parts, which will help us improve our performance This is all part of our ongoing aggressive development strategy. Also, we will get into the swing of things quickly because the whole team knows the circuit well, and teams using a simulator won’t have such an advantage here.

Do you have any special memories of racing at the track?

NH: Over the years I have enjoyed some good races in Spain - it’s a challenging track and it will be interesting to return. I have got many memories - one that I particularly remember is a pit lane battle with Jenson (Button) when we were both exiting at the same time, both at the highest speed limit you are allowed and I think I just got out ahead of him.

We saw a high level of tyre degradation in Turkey – as a driver, how do you feel this can be limited when on track?

NH: “Well, with these new Pirelli tyres, there is not too much you can do to limit the impact of degradation from a driver point of view. However, the good thing is the R31 is quite gentle on its tyres compared to the other cars, which is a real positive for us. I think that through good general usage of the car the driver can help the situation, but what is more important is how the car is setup. If the car is prepared well beforehand then it can put us in a good position.

You are currently seventh in the Drivers Championship standings - how much can you achieve in the R31 this season?

NH: This season requires a real team effort from everyone. I will need to concentrate on getting the most out of it, but I think it’s too early days to speak about final championship positions just yet. Nico (Rosberg) is only a point behind me now and Mercedes have improved a lot over the last two races. However, we scored as many points as they did in Turkey so we can stay clear of them. The Ferraris are not far away - Felipe (Massa) has finished behind me in a couple of races and he is not many points ahead so my aim is to start challenging him in the standings very soon.