Although he is currently leading the BMW team, it was not that long ago that Nick Heidfeld appeared destined to be yet another of Formula One's 'nearly men', drivers who promised so much on their rise up through the ranks but failed to deliver at the highest level.

As the German team look ahead to Sepang, where BMW scored its maiden points last season, courtesy of Jacques Villeneuve, Heidfeld has once again questioned the German outfit's decision to run its third driver (Sebastian Vettel) in the Friday sessions. At the recent Australian Grand Prix, BMW and Williams were the only teams that made use of their third drivers - in both cases, the reserve driver out-paced the regular race driver.

Heidfeld has spoken to the German media claiming that he fails to understand why his team has chosen to go against the norm, in running a third driver, stating that there is no data that Vettel can collect that he himself, or teammate Robert Kubica, can't supply.

With his contract for 2008 yet to be finalised, and Vettel clearly a major prospect for BMW and indeed Germany - not to mention being the apple of (team boss) Mario Theisen's eye - 'Quick Nick' would do well to keep schtum and refrain from questioning his team's policy, at least in public.