Congrats Nick!

BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Nick Heidfeld has a reason to celebrate: The Malaysian Grand Prix will be the 100th Formula One race contested by the German who can already look back on a eventful career.

On 12th March 2000, Nick made his maiden appearance on a Formula One grid at Melbourne. He contested the Australian Grand Prix for the French Prost team and finished ninth. In the following 98 Grands Prix, he gathered a lot of valuable experience and again and again, he secured remarkable results in spite of often racing an uncompetitive car.

Following his move to Sauber in 2001, Nick secured his maiden podium finish: in the eventful Brazilian Grand Prix, Nick sensationally took third place. However, his most successful year to date was the 2005 season with the BMW Williams F1 Team, when he clinched three podium results: Following third place in Malaysia, he qualified sixth in Monaco to finish runner-up. In his home race, the European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, he celebrated his second successive runner-up finish - and his maiden Formula One pole position.

This year, Nick contests his seventh F1 season. So far, he has completed 4.913 race laps and secured 56 World Championship points. The 28-year-old is determined to celebrate further successes in the remaining 17 rounds of the 2006 season and beyond.