Jan.26 (GMM) Nick Heidfeld may also be able to count McLaren among his options to remain involved in formula one in 2010.

Until Michael Schumacher's decision to return this year, the 32-year-old German had been hoping to secure the Mercedes GP race seat alongside Nico Rosberg.

Heidfeld, a veteran of 169 grands prix since 2000 but no wins, was also linked with moves to McLaren and Sauber prior to the finalisation of those teams' race lineups, and Renault looks likely to put pay-driver Vitaly Petrov alongside Robert Kubica.

It was thought that moving to Mercedes GP as reserve driver was Heidfeld's last option, but now Martin Whitmarsh indicates there may be a similar opening at McLaren.

According to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, the Briton - who attended Monday's Mercedes livery launch in Stuttgart - revealed that Heidfeld was earlier in the running for the race seat alongside Lewis Hamilton.

"We think of Nick very highly, and are surprised that within the German media he is perhaps not so highly considered," said Whitmarsh.

With Pedro de la Rosa switching to Sauber in 2010, the track debut of McLaren's new MP4-25 has been put into the hands of test driver Gary Paffett.

Paffett, however, is staying with Mercedes in the DTM series this year, and although the race calendars do not clash, the 28-year-old is not thought likely to attend every grand prix in 2010.

Meanwhile, Whitmarsh denied that, with a driver lineup featuring Hamilton, Jenson Button and Paffett, and Vodafone as title sponsor, Woking based McLaren can now be considered an all-British superteam.

"It was not planned like that," Auto Motor und Sport quotes him as saying.

Latest F1 News - Mobile version

26 Feb: New Ferrari not quickest in field - Domenicali 26 Feb: Red Bull still best in 2013 - Tost 26 Feb: 2014 French grand prix 'possible' - Prost 26 Feb: Danica Patrick 'not interested' in F1 switch 26 Feb: Report - Gilles Simon working on F1 engine for Honda 26 Feb: Gutierrez plays down link to Carlos Slim 26 Feb: Caterham exhaust 'legal' insists van der Garde 26 Feb: McLaren replaces Mercedes-bound Lowe 25 Feb: 'Engine maps' trouble for Red Bull, Lotus - report 25 Feb: Mercedes-bound Lowe to miss 2013 opener - report 25 Feb: Mercedes 'in group of teams' behind Red Bull - Lauda 25 Feb: Gutierrez expects Hulkenberg to beat him early in 2013 25 Feb: New Ferrari 'much better' than 2012 - Massa 25 Feb: Teams 'will adapt' to new tyre situation - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Tight rules make today's F1 cars 'the same' - Forghieri 25 Feb: Williams removes controversial exhaust trick 25 Feb: Contract 'conflicts' cause of Marussia test snub - Razia 25 Feb: Lotus to fight Red Bull for title - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Marussia 'ahead of Caterham' - Chilton 25 Feb: Sutil will not stay in F1 as test driver The latest F1 News - Mobile Version