After his first season in Formula E was blighted by misfortune, Nick Heidfeld moved to the Mahindra Racing team for season two with hope of challenging for big points.
The season proved to be an improvement for both team and driver, with Mahindra Racing eventually finishing fifth in the teams’ standing, with Nick Heidfeld putting in a number of memorable performances.
Heidfeld started the season strongly with a podium finish at the opening race in Beijing, but it was clear to him after testing that Renault e.dams and Abt Schaeffler Audi Sport would be the teams at the front of the pack.
“We knew after the pre-season testing that Renault were the favourites and then probably followed by Abt but behind them it was quite close and if everything ran smoothly we could be on the podium. Beijing was probably, at least in terms of results, the high point of the season for me and a very good feeling for the team to come to the first race and finish on the podium. I was not as happy as many other people in the team were with third because we could’ve been second if we had a great race and no mistakes on the pit stop.”
A scrape with a wall during the Putrajaya ePrix led to Heidfeld requiring hand surgery on a damaged ligament, forcing him to sit out the Punta del Este ePrix. “I went to the doctors because I felt something small but we just put some ice on it and thought it would be ok. The next day, I was flying home and realised it got worse instead of better and then went straight to the doctor and got it scanned and X-rayed. I realised it was a bigger problem and that I needed to have an operation.
“Initially, I hoped I would be back straight away at the next race but it became clear I would miss at least one race. Speaking to the doctors and the physiotherapists it was clear I would lose more than one race – at least two or three for sure. So speaking about highs and lows of the season there was a low that I had an injury but personally the high was that I only missed one race and that I quickly got back into the car as none of the people that were looking at my hand including doctors and therapists would though it would be possible.”
Following a private test in Valencia, Heidfeld was hopeful of making a return for the Buenos Aires ePrix but his participation in the race remained uncertain.
“I did a couple of laps in a different car that went better than expected but I still had slight pain and not enough power available. I told them that ‘if you want me to tell you right now whether or not I can drive, today I cannot tell you.’
“It was not an easy decision but we decided to race. Then into the race itself, there were just two or three occasions where I had an unexpected action to make on the steering wheel and there was a short pain in my hand but the doctor told me the hand had heeled properly but it was just about strength and flexibility – it might be painful but it will not damage anything. I didn’t take any painkillers, it was just the second-half of the race where I felt I was struggling a bit with the power available in my hand so I was losing a bit of lap time in the quick chicanes. It was not perfect but I think it was the right moment to come back.”
While Heidfeld was unable to improve on his third place finish in Beijing, he would go on to score regular points until the end of season, including a strong P4 finish in Long Beach. This resulted in 10th in the drivers’ championship, ahead of team-mate Bruno Senna.
Despite two full seasons of racing in the all-electric formula, Heidfeld insists that he is still learning. “I’ve had a long career and I try to learn each day, each race, and each team,” he said. “It’s one thing I am still trying to figure out actually after I came out of Formula 1; I tried not to go into any teams with such high expectation as you can be spoiled in F1 as the teams have so much money and resources. In Formula E I try to push the team a lot and give a lot of ideas to push the team forward but on the other side I know that if I am being realistic, I can’t expect them to do everything I ask for. I am still learning how much and how far to push because it has not only happened once where I thought I will give them the main points to focus on and then you go to the next race and a mistake happens that you knew before could happen and you didn’t mention it because you thought it was too much.”
While Mahindra Racing is yet to confirm its season three line-up, Heidfeld is confident that he would be on the grid for the season three opener in Hong Kong. “Yes, definitely but I cannot tell you where yet, it hasn’t been confirmed. Expect to see my face again,” he said.
Season Two stats:
Nick Heidfeld
Starts: 9
Championship position: 10th
Points: 53
Wins: 0 (best finish: 3rd)
Poles: 0 (best qualifying: 3rd)
Fastest laps: 1
FanBoosts: 4