Pirelli to announce Heidfeld successor this week

Pirelli is set to announce a replacement for tyre development tester Nick Heidfeld.

Some reports this week contradicted expectations that the 33-year-old German will have to vacate the role now that he has signed to return to the grid with Sauber.

A Pirelli spokesman told us on Wednesday: “For now we have nothing to add or to comment except that we are working very well with Heidfeld.”

The same spokesman later revealed that an “official communication” will be made “in the next days”.

ITV quotes a Pirelli spokesman as saying: “Nick will leave with our blessing and we wish him well.

“If we dovetailed both roles (Heidfeld with Sauber and Pirelli), there would be a conflict of interest.

“By the end of the week we should be able to announce his replacement,” he added.

Heidfeld’s final outing on last year’s Toyota with Pirelli tyres is this week at Jerez.  His Sauber contract begins on Friday.

Pedro de la Rosa is widely tipped as Heidfeld’s successor.

Pirelli told us on Thursday: “We haven’t commented about this and we will keep on doing it that way.”

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