MERCEDES GP PETRONAS is pleased to confirm that Nick Heidfeld will join

the team as Reserve Race Driver and Test Driver for the 2010 Formula One

season. Nick will therefore complete the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver

line-up with race drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg.

Like Michael Schumacher before him, Nick is another former Mercedes

Junior who returns to his motorsport roots. After winning the 1997

German Formula 3 Championship, as a junior driver supported by Mercedes,

Nick tested a McLaren Mercedes Formula One car for the first time.

Nick was the McLaren Mercedes test driver for the 1998 and 1999 seasons,

during which time he had two successful years in Formula 3000, as

runner-up in 1998 and winning the Formula 3000 Championship, held

alongside the Formula One races, in 1999.

Nick began his Formula One career with the Prost team in 2000 and since

then has participated in 167 Grands Prix driving for Sauber (2001-2003),

Jordan (2004), Williams (2005) and BMW Sauber (2006-2009). He had his

best Formula One season in 2007 when he finished in fifth position in

the World Championship. To date in his Formula One career, Nick has

achieved 12 podium finishes.

Nick Heidfeld: "I am very pleased to be joining the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS

Formula One Team. It's the team which has attracted the most interest in

the close season, not only because of the comeback of Michael

Schumacher, but also because this season sees the return of the Silver

Arrows cars as a Mercedes-Benz works team for the first time in over

fifty years. Whilst I would of course have preferred a seat as an active

driver, I am really proud to be part of the new Silver Arrows team. I

have seen how committed everyone at the team is and I feel the same. I

will be doing my very best to support Michael and Nico this year."

Ross Brawn, Team Principal: "It's a great pleasure for us to have signed

a driver of the calibre and experience of Nick Heidfeld as our Reserve

Race Driver and Test Driver for the 2010 season. Nick has over ten years

of experience in Formula One working with established teams and he will

be a great asset to MERCEDES GP PETRONAS. I am confident that his input

into the development of our MGP W01 car will be invaluable. We look

forward to welcoming Nick to MERCEDES GP PETRONAS and working closely

with him."

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "To sign Nick

Heidfeld as Reserve Race Driver and Test Driver for MERCEDES GP PETRONAS

Formula One Team means another re-enforcement for our team. We have

known each other for many years and Nick was supported by our junior

drivers programme from 1997. During his 10 years in Formula One,

circumstances often made it difficult for him to achieve his

breakthrough. However Nick is extremely capable, he will be an asset to

our team and he will show this."