Heidfeld ‘prepared to take legal action’

Renault’s plan to replace Nick Heidfeld with Bruno Senna could be met with legal action from the German, according to a report.

Speculation is rife that the Enstone-based outfit want to axe Heidfeld and hand the driving duties to Brazilian Senna, who is currently the team’s test and reserve driver, at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Heidfeld joined the team on short notice earlier this year after Robert Kubica was ruled out following a serious rally accident. The 34-year-old Heidfeld picked up a third-place finish in the second race in Malaysia, but has gone off the boil in recent races.

He is currently eighth in the Drivers’ Championship with 34 points, two points better than team-mate Vitaly Petrov.

Renault are reportedly in financial difficulty and are ready to replace Heidfeld, but the Daily Telegraph claims the German ‘is prepared to use legal channels to hang on to his race seat’.

Both Renault and Heidfeld are yet to comment on the reports.