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Races Review: Impressive wet drive makes Nick 2nd
By BMW Sauber F1 Team
December 29 2008
Thanks to lightning-fast decisions taken during the closing stages of the Belgian Grand Prix, Nick Heidfeld was able to score yet another podium place for the BMW Sauber F1 Team. At the onset of rain two laps from the end of the race he switched to intermediate tyres - and was subsequently rewarded with second overall after a dashing drive.
"This was the most amazing race I have ever experienced," opined Willy Rampf, Technical Director for the BMW Sauber F1 Team, after the 13th world championship round of the season. He was far from alone in holding this view. Until two laps from the end it was a normal race, but then the heavens opened - causing events to be overtaken by the conditions.

For those drivers who elected to remain on dry tyres through to the end of the Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the final kilometres cutting through the Ardennes forests were nothing other than a slip-sliding jamboree. Nick was, though, able to deliver some of the most exciting and successful laps of his long Formula One career. The 31-year-old started fifth after proving faster in qualifying than team-mate Robert Kubica for the second time this season. At the start Nick was able to pull away better than most, only to lose a few positions after being forced to the outside of the track by Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren).

Robert experienced a somewhat turbulent opening phase as he waged a thrilling duel with Toyota's Timo Glock. Until his second stop the Polish driver lay ahead of his team-mate, only to lose a few positions with a coupling setback during refuelling. When Nick peeled into the pits for his decisive tyre change, Robert was immediately behind the German driver. "It would have cost me too much time," explained the 23-year-old. "As I was directly behind Nick, we would have arrived at almost the same time. In addition, I had no weather information due to problems with my radio." Thereafter Robert's goal was to bring the car home safely in sixth, which he managed skilfully.

Nick flew through the field, making up places as went to eventually take third. A retrospective time penalty incurred by Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) moved Nick up a place to second, in the process earning the team eight valuable points from their Belgian campaign. "Today it was a question of champagne bubbles or bust, hero or zero," summarised Nick after his strategic master move. Thus with five races left to run the BMW Sauber F1 Team had amassed 107 points versus the just 101 the team from Munich and Hinwil had scored during the entire 2007 season.

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