In the world of Formula 1, things can change in a flash — be it a race leader experiencing sudden engine failure to a driver deciding their racing career has come to an end. 

Such is the story of Nick Heidfeld. The German driver had a Formula 1 career that ran between 2000 and 2011, albeit without much success. And that may be directly attributed to one Michael Schumacher.

Michael Schumacher’s return to F1 shook up the grid

On his rise through the junior ranks, Nick Heidfeld was hailed as one of Germany’s next greatest drivers. He nabbed titles in German Formula 3 and International Formula 3000 and so impressed the Formula 1 world that, in 2000, he joined the Prost team.

But for Heidfeld, it was the first in a string of unfortunate moves that never really paid off. He moved from Prost to Sauber, then to Jordan, and to BMW, racking up a handful of podium finishes along the way. Unfortunately, he never quite managed to make it to one of the top-tier teams.

In 2010, though, it almost happened. Quick Nick was weighing up two options for the season: A seat with Mercedes, or a seat with McLaren.

Ultimately, neither happened, and we have Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button to blame.

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In some previously unreleased footage from the Formel1.de YouTube channel, Heidfeld admitted that he was “really relatively close” to driving for either Mercedes or McLaren in 2010.

“I’ve already had meetings with Ross Brawn where we discussed one thing or another,” he recalled.

But when it came time to actually sign a driver, a problem arose: Seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher was prepared to make a comeback in Formula 1, and he wanted to do it with Mercedes.

“Of course it was annoying, but if you can get Michael back, who wouldn’t?” Heidfeld mused. “In the end, it was actually closer at McLaren.”

Closer, yes — but his plans were foiled again.

That year, Brawn F1 converted into the Mercedes team; when it became clear that Jenson Button would not remain with the outfit after winning his World Championship, that opened the door for Schumacher.

But it also meant Button was looking for a ride somewhere else — and he chose McLaren. Just like that, Heidfeld’s two options for 2010 evaporated into thin air.

Heidfeld was out of options for the season and ultimately started the year off as a third driver, working alongside Schumacher and Rosberg in what turned out to be an enlightening experience.

“Michael had an extreme standing in the team, although — I think I can say this from a neutral point of view — he no longer had the peak performance as a few years before,” Heidfeld recalled.

“When he spoke, there was absolute silence, and everyone listened carefully. The way he worked with the team, in addition to the undisputed driving talent he always had, was what impressed me the most.”

Further, he continued, “I had often heard or read about it, but to experience it firsthand, how structured his approach was, how precisely he worked with the team, how he found out what needed to be analyzed now, where he couldn’t let up, in conversation with engineers — that was really impressive.”

Heidfeld returned to the cockpit with BMW Sauber at the end of the 2010 season, then contested his final season with Lotus Renault the following year. Having been overlooked by two top teams, and with few other options available, Heidfeld stepped back from Formula 1 and instead headed off to the endurance and electric racing worlds.

Today, he is one of the co-founders of a new electric open-wheel series called the FG Series, which is designed to be a more affordable way to get into the world of electric motorsport.

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