Kubica To Stay with BMW for 1 More Year

Robert Kubica has extended his contract with BMW Sauber for one more year - a practice that is unusual for the BMW team.

BMW has previously emphasised that they would only sign contracts that are 3-year long. But the caliber of Polish driver Robert Kubica has upped his bargaining position against the BMW team and looks set to leave the team at the end of 2009 unless they produce a championship winning car.

However, teammate Nick Heidfeld would not be so lucky. Having a very dismaying season, Nick Heidfeld's future looked to be unconfirmed as he had yet another shaky weekend at Valencia, eventually ending the weekend out of point-scoring position at 9th. Mario Theissen, team principal of BMW, made his dissatisfaction apparent. ""When we are in a position to do so, we need to be scoring with both cars."

Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld are two teammates on the two ends of the spectrum - Kubica having many options to explore at the end of 2009 when his new contract will be up (which makes him a contender for the Ferrari seat of Kimi Räikkönen that many are supposedly eyeing - including close friend Fernando Alonso), while Nick Heidfeld would be desperate to look for a team that is willing to keep him within the F1 circus. Unfortunately, one team boss looked set to be ruling out the German driver with a decisive comment.

Honda's Nick Fry, is quoted as telling the German newspaper AZ when asked if Nick Heidfeld is an option for the underperforming Honda team in 2009 said, "Heidfeld? No."

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Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.

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