Renault boss Éric Boullier says it was an obvious choice for the team to select the experienced driver Nick Heidfeld to replace an injured Robert Kubica.
Heidfeld rapidly made himself comfortable within the team and his role as a leader came like a second nature.
"I was surprised about the fact that he was able to position himself so early and so easily as a team leader," said Boullier. "I would have understood that he could have taken some time."
The driver's feedback was also extremely precise and useful as Boullier quickly discovered.
"When he was testing at Jerez, I was listening on the radio and the way he was talking to the engineers, he was right there [settled in the team]. I was already half-convinced that morning."
Heidfeld's technical background is certainly his main quality, one that the young drivers he works with could have not compensated for at this point of the car's development, Boullier admits.
"Because the accident happened at such an early stage of the season, we concluded very rapidly that we needed a very experienced driver - and fast, obviously - and having enough character to lead some technical decisions or to take some decisions in a firm manner with the team," said Boullier.
"If it had happened later in the season, the car would have been developed. I would have gone for one of our reserve drivers, but there was too much risk to put on the shoulders of two young guys the responsibility to develop this car. That would have been stupid for me to gamble on this."
Boullier revealed that Robert Kubica was also consulted when it came down to choosing the right driver to take his seat.
"We even discussed this with Robert actually. I was too early, he was just waking up from the coma, but Gerard [Lopez] talked with him and Robert raised two names: Nick and [Tonio] Liuzzi."
Heidfeld rapidly made himself comfortable within the team and his role as a leader came like a second nature.
"I was surprised about the fact that he was able to position himself so early and so easily as a team leader," said Boullier. "I would have understood that he could have taken some time."
The driver's feedback was also extremely precise and useful as Boullier quickly discovered.
"When he was testing at Jerez, I was listening on the radio and the way he was talking to the engineers, he was right there [settled in the team]. I was already half-convinced that morning."
Heidfeld's technical background is certainly his main quality, one that the young drivers he works with could have not compensated for at this point of the car's development, Boullier admits.
"Because the accident happened at such an early stage of the season, we concluded very rapidly that we needed a very experienced driver - and fast, obviously - and having enough character to lead some technical decisions or to take some decisions in a firm manner with the team," said Boullier.
"If it had happened later in the season, the car would have been developed. I would have gone for one of our reserve drivers, but there was too much risk to put on the shoulders of two young guys the responsibility to develop this car. That would have been stupid for me to gamble on this."
Boullier revealed that Robert Kubica was also consulted when it came down to choosing the right driver to take his seat.
"We even discussed this with Robert actually. I was too early, he was just waking up from the coma, but Gerard [Lopez] talked with him and Robert raised two names: Nick and [Tonio] Liuzzi."