Nick Heidfeld was successful first in Formula Ford from 1994 to 1995, before switching to German Formula 3. He finished third overall there in 1996 and won the Championship in 1997. He started at that time testing for McLaren Mercedes.
From German Formula 3, Heidfeld moved to the International Formula 3000 series posting a runner-up finish in the championship in 1998 and capturing the title in 1999.
The first Formula One team he worked with was Prost in 2000. The following year he moved to Sauber, where he took his first podium finish. He continued to improve with Sauber for the next two years before moving to Jordan in 2004. In 2005, BMW Williams signed him as one of its drivers.
Heidfeld sat out the last five races of the 2005 season partly due to injury and partly due to a disagreement with the team. He finished the season 11th in the standings.
In 2006, he departed the Williams outfit and drove for BMW's new team – BMW Sauber. In the first season with the team, he picked up a podium finish at Hungary en route to finishing the season ninth in the championship standings with 23 points.
Heidfeld returned with BMW Sauber for 2007 and posted a strong fifth-place finish in the standings. He finished on the podium twice, including a runner-up finish in Canada, and finished with points in all but three of his 17 starts.
Heidfeld again raced for BMW Sauber in 2008. He scored four runner-up finishes en route to a sixth-place finish in the standings.
