Heidfeld ditched by Renault

[cosworth151]

I agree. We've talked many times here about how contracts in F1 don't seem to be worth the paper they're printed on.

[markfarrell9572]

I think Jean Alesi proved that going back as far as 1990/91.  He had contracts signed with Williams and Ferrari, and some believe Tyrrell too.

[Scott]

If Renault were talking about bringing in Senna next season if Kubica doesn't come back, that's one thing, but Heidfeld agreed to drop everything he may have had on his plate to join them when they needed him, and I guess the deal was until Kubica returns or the end of the season. 

Now, a handfull of races later they want to ditch him in exchange for money?  I'd go legal too.

[John S]

It would appear Nick has reached terms with the team, Renault GP has now confimed Senna as his replacement for Spa.

There has been talk for a while about Renault GP's shortfall in budget, denied of course by Boullier and by Renault Sport when the subject of late payment for engines arose. However let's suppose that the money worries are real, then sidelining Nick is perhaps not only an easy but maybe a necessary way to try to balance the books.

The big problem, as I see it in this hypothetical scenario, is not paying off Nick but getting Senna's sponsors to pay the sort of money required to cover the severance and more besides to put the team on an even keel. I seem to recall that Hispania had a problem getting the money promised when Bruno was in their car, the amounts Renault GP are looking for will probably be a long way in excess of the HRT deal.

Perhaps Lopez and Boullier are Looking in the wrong direction for a pay driver, Red Bull just might fancy seeing Ricciardo in a proper midfield car.    
They might even ante up as well for Nick to join Luizzi at the back of the grid. - Job done

[markfarrell9572]

According to Bruno he is only confirmed for Spa and Monza.  I think after that the seat is Romain Grosjean's, he is a favourite of Eric Boullier's.  This chopping and changing actually does very little to promote Renault as a desirable team, or anything like a top team, indeed it kind of looks a bit HRT-ish

[Scott]

It doesn't look like Nick has reached terms with his team.  The legal action is going ahead with a hearing in 3wks.  Perhaps with the legal action, they couldn't confirm Senna for more than that.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/93943

[John S]

Since when did a drivers contract guarantee a race seat, ask Kimi, all you can expect is to make a team honour it's financial commitment on the deal. The only way I can see the actual race seat and not the money being 'of the essence' in a contract is if a driver gave up a better offer, from another team with a faster car, to drive this particular team's car.

 

[lkjohnson1950]

Heidfeld showed up at Spa in gear and ready to drive, but was of course shut out of the team. If there is a doubt that he will get paid then maybe legal action is proper, but even if he gets back in the car, who will force Renault to give him full support? As lond as Renault pays his fee, I think they can put anyone in the car they want to. Joe Saward says Heidfeld intends to argue he shouldn't be replaced on performance.
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/

[Monty]

Well Bruno has just stacked the car so Heidfeld might be back in the seat sooner than he expected!

[cosworth151]

They just talked to Nick on the BBC during 2nd practice. He basically just said "no comment" due to the ongoing legal actions. He did say that he and Bruno are still on good terms.

[Jericoke]

They just talked to Nick on the BBC during 2nd practice. He basically just said "no comment" due to the ongoing legal actions. He did say that he and Bruno are still on good terms.

You can hardly expect two men competing for one of 24 race seats to have hard feelings over who gets it.  Indeed, Senna and Heidfeld are two of the few people on Earth who can understand what the other man is going through!

Flavio might be a monstrous bully, but I think he ran the team with a little more class than this.

[cosworth151]

It looks like Renault does want young Senna for the rest of the season:

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110825/F1/110829910?utm_source=DailyDrive20110826&utm_medium=enewsletter&utm_term=missedarticle6more&utm_content=20110825-Formula_One__Lotus_Renault_wants_to_keep_Senna_for_remainder_of_season&utm_campaign=awdailydrive

[Scott]

To use your expression Cos, I think Nick is being thrown under the bus by Boullier.  I wonder how long Éric is actually going to be at the helm of Renault.  If they want someone to motivate the engineering department, it should be an engineer, not a driver (a la Newey or Brawn).  Throwing Senna in the car at this stage of the season means they don't care at all about where they finish in the WCC, and that might just have the boys over at Genii a bit nervous when they start looking over the balance sheets for next year's budget.

Whatever they say, Nick is ahead of Petrov in the points, and finished in the points more often than Petrov this season, and had a pile of bad luck (including almost being blown up) so something doesn't jibe with what he's saying.

[lkjohnson1950]

When Kubica did the first tests on the car it seemed very quick, then they got 2 podiums in 2 races and I think their expectations went sky high as it looked like their trick diffuser had closed the gap to the top teams. But they couldn't develop the car at the pace of the big three and they have slipped down the order pretty steadily. They are blaming Nick for this saying he didn't provide "leadership" for the engineers. That is what they were looking for more than anything. If Nick can't develop the car, it's easier to fire him than to fire the whole design and engineering staff.

[John S]

I still reckon it's about money, or rather the shortage of it. These supposed failings by Nick are being touted in an effort to limit his legal claim.

IMO Genii have factored in their constructors championship position, 5th and 31 points ahead of Sauber, to calculate that they can take the extra income from a pay driver without losing any prize money at season end.

Next year's budget should not be such a big problem if Kubica returns to the car, however carrying losses from this year will possibly make even that scenario untenable.

It may not be just Nick's fight for survival in F1 that we are witnessing, but Renault GP's as well.