It is my opinion that Nick Heidfeld is the most under-rated driver on the grid at present. He is so soft spoken and unassuming in his public comments, sticking always to the known facts and never indulging in flights of fancy, that he seems to get lost amongst the fuss and hype surrounding others. Last Sunday he was the quiet man throughout the race, plugging away honestly and steadily and getting yet another second place as his reward. Good for old Nick we say, fully expecting Kubica to blow him away again in the next few races.
Nick Heidfeld
Do not be surprised if things go slightly differently from now on however. It is a pity that Kubica's car problems deprived us of the spectacle of the Beemer boys fighting it out for grid position because I suspect that Heidfeld has finally got the hang of qualifying the F1.08. If I am right, we are in for a treat as the two struggle to be closest to the stars in red and silver.
The thing about Nick is that he races without drama but very effectively. We already grant that he is one of the hardest to pass but how often do we give him credit for his overtaking skills? That moment when he overtook Raikkonen and Kovalainen in one go at Silverstone was one to treasure, the move that ensured him of second place. Yet there was no drama, no fuss, he just drove the BMW through the gap that appeared, making it look easy and robbing the moment of its drama.
There was the measure of the man - no last minute desperate dive for a closing gap, no muscling of an opponent out towards the grass, just the quick acceptance of an opportunity that no one else realized was there and then off into the distance. And that is Nick; if there is any reason why he is not already known as the John Watson of today, the great overtaker, it must be that he passes others with such apparent ease.
All this was done in a car that even BMW admits is not quite as good as the Ferraris and McLarens. Nick kept it in contention, stayed on the road and took his chances when they came; he may not be dramatic but sheer consistency could still see him to a GP win this year. Who knows? The championship is not out of reach either.
Robert Kubica is a useful yardstick when considering Heidfeld. In many ways, he is a totally different driver from Nick, all fire and passion where his team mate is a cool head. If Nick takes no risks, merely accepting the limits of his car and driving within them, Robert is the one to throw the beast around a bit, exploring to and beyond the limit. He, too, had a brilliant race on Sunday, hauling the car up to third spot before finally risking a bit too much and bogging down in the gravel. Like many that afternoon, he deserved better.
What it amounts to is a finely balanced driving team, a perfect choice for the improving BMW. They spur each other to greater efforts yet, perhaps because of the realistic outlook implanted by Dr Theissen, they avoid the squabbles that affect other teams. And the BMW team continue to show the rest how it's done, avoiding the complex tactics of the others, just being as efficient as they can and allowing what comes of that to happen as it will.
It was good to read, too, that the good doctor has stepped back from his earlier assertion that they would now concentrate their efforts on 2009. He is adjusting the development strategy to continue work on this year's car, aware that they must keep up the pressure on the top teams. That is absolutely necessary if Robert and Nick are to remain championship contenders.
And so to the the mastermind, Ross Brawn of Honda. Don't ask me how he managed to get Barrichello on to that podium - it should not have been possible. The change to extreme wets helped a great deal, of course, leapfrogging Rubens to second place before his forced stop for fuel, but how on earth did he get the car high enough up the order to be in reach of the front runners when the heavy rain came?
Rubens is known to be pretty good in the wet so that is part of it as well - but let us not forget that the Honda is a dog capable of beating only the Force Indias. Respect to both Barrichello and Brawn (and an oh well, maybe next time for Button).
Honda are supposed to be directing all their efforts into next year's car so there is little prospect of any great improvement for the drivers to look forward to in the remaining races. Rubens' third spot will be something to remember and get them through the hard days ahead.