By now I’m guessing Y’all have heard that Sauber has dismissed Pedro de la Rosa in favour of longtime Sauber and BMW-Sauber Prodigy “Quick Nick” Heidfeld, beginning with this weekend’s Singapore GP and thru the remaining five Grand Prix’s, in what possibly could be an audition for the vacant 2011 second Sauber F1 seat. As the Hinwil-based Squad has already confirmed Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi for 2011.
Heidfeld began the season as Mercedes GP’s Test & Reserve Driver before being allowed to depart for the Pirelli testing role, before vaulting back into a race drive at Sauber. While its still unclear if De la Rosa will resume a testing role, albeit now for the upcoming Pirelli rubber concern, for which ex-Renault F1 driver Romain Grosjean Has been tabbed for the firm’s upcoming Monza test...
Meanwhile, having previously gone out on a limb in Picking a Formulae, I’m please to have read all over the Blogosphere that Esteban Gutierrez; one of my three picks for future Formula 1 duties has been confirmed as Sauber’s Test & Reserve Driver in 2011, continuing his affiliation with Peter Sauber’s F1 Organization, which he was privy to this year enroute to his GP3 Championship. As my other two nominees are “the young Wicky” (Robert Wickens) and Alexander Rossi, while it’s also obvious that Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson is trying to also join the frame...
Gutierrez will once again participate in the season ending F1 Young Drivers test program after the Abu Dhabi GP, having done so last year for the then BMW Sauber concern as his prize for winning the Formula BMW European title...
Gutierrez confirmed for Sauber test role in 2011
