Heidfeld to test for Williams again

Nick Heidfeld will get a second chance to show Williams what he can do after testing at Jerez this week. The German, who is vying with Antonio Pizzonia for the race seat with Williams in 2005, will be back behind the wheel next week when the team is in action at Jerez from Wednesday the 8th.

Nick Heidfeld.

Photo by Jordan Grand Prix.

"He will run again," a spokesman for the team was quoted by Reuters. "He will get the time he was promised next week as well."

Heidfeld was, unsurprisingly, a little off the pace on his first day out for Williams this week, leading some media to prematurely dub him "not so quick Nick". But as Heidfeld explained: "I just have not had enough time in one day because there are so many things I still want to do."

On Thursday, however, Heidfeld was second on the time sheet and a second faster than Pizzonia, who was sixth overall. Nick was four tenths down on the day's lead driver Jacques Villeneuve -- Sauber has been putting in some fast times so far this winter.

Changeable weather conditions at Jerez hampered the test slightly but overall Williams was pleased with Heidfeld's efforts. "On his fist outing with the team, Nick settled in well and gave us some productive feedback," said test team manager Tim Newton.

When a decision will be made on the driver line up is not yet known but it presumably won't be too long. Christmas is fast approaching and once the test ban during the festive period is over, work will resume in earnest in January.

Meanwhile, Pizzonia may be hotly tipped for the race seat but Mark Webber is not exactly a fan of the Brazilian. He previously said working with Pizzonia was not an experience he would care to repeat, and has recently been less than complementary about him in the Italian press.

If Pizzonia does get the race seat, it could turn out to be a more volatile pairing than the anticipated fireworks between Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya at McLaren.