BMW to stick with Heidfeld and Kubica

The BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld will be driving with the same team in next season's Formula One championship campaign.

MUNICH // BMW Sauber will stick with drivers Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld for next season's Formula One campaign, the team have announced. "BMW Sauber... has opted for continuity," the team said in a statement, adding that the Austrian driver Christian Klein would also stay on as their test and reserve driver. "We see Nick and Robert as a strong driver pairing and Christian as an experienced test driver," said the BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen.

"We are in no doubt that we will again achieve our ambitious aims with them in the team's fourth year." BMW were previously reported to have been interested in replacing Heidfeld with the double world champion Fernando Alonso. However, Alonso said his "first priority" would be to stay with his current team Renault. With three grands prix remaining this season, Kubica is third in the drivers' standings, 13 points behind second placed Ferrari driver Felipe Massa and 20 points behind McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

Heidfeld is in fifth place, eight points behind his BMW teammate. *Reuters