| German Formula 1 driver Date of Birth: Country: Germany |
Nick Lars Heidfeld was born in Mönchengladbach, Germany, on May 10, At the tender age of five, he rode a motocross bike and later transitioned to karting at By 17, Heidfeld competed in the German Formula Ford Championship, where he excelled, winning eight out of nine races. In , he triumphed in the international championship, paving the way for his move to Formula 3.
Heidfeld joined Opel Team BSR in Formula 3. After a mixed first season, he narrowly lost the championship to Timo Scheider by just three points. However, he claimed victory with a six-point lead over Scheider by winning the final two races.
In , Heidfeld made his Formula 1 debut with McLaren-Mercedes. In , he finished second overall, winning three races, behind Colombian champion Juan Pablo Montoya. Expectations were high for Heidfeld to continue with McLaren, but he joined Prost GP in
After a disappointing season with Prost GP, Heidfeld moved to Sauber in and partnered with rising star Kimi Räikkönen. He finished eighth in the championship, scoring 12 points. Despite his strong performance, McLaren signed Räikkönen instead of Heidfeld. Heidfeld stayed with Sauber for two more years before joining Jordan due to Sauber's declining performance.
Heidfeld's stint at Jordan proved unsuccessful, prompting Williams to test him for a race seat in He impressed them, finishing on the podium in Sepang and Monaco. After a merger between BMW and Sauber, Heidfeld returned to Sauber and enjoyed a successful season, including podium finishes in Melbourne and Indianapolis.
Heidfeld holds the unique record of most second- and third-place Grand Prix finishes without ever winning a race. Despite his impressive tally, he remains the only driver to accumulate so many podiums without achieving victory.
Heidfeld currently resides in Stäfa, Switzerland, with his fiancée Patricia, and their young daughter and son. He has two brothers, Tim and Sven, both of whom were involved in motorsport. Sven currently works as a motorcycle commentator on German television.