Nick Heidfeld said he came close to being appointed as Robert Kubica's new team-mate for 2011 instead of Vitaly Petrov.
As it is, as a result of Kubica's accident, he finds himself driving alongside petrov, who was retained primarily because of the substantial backing he brings to the team.
But, after Kubica's crash, the ease with which Renault chose Heidfeld to test the R31 at Jerez last week before appointing him for the newly-vacant race seat is explained by his latest comments in Sport Bild magazine.
"I know the people in charge of the team very well, because during the 2010 season I talked with them about coming here for 2011," he said. He also admitted it felt "strange" to be replacing his former long-time BMW team-mate, but insisted he would have been happy to simply retain his Sauber seat for 2011.
"I was disappointed when I went no further with Sauber at the end of 2010. But I believed firmly that my career was not yet over, which is why I trained harder than usual in the winter."
Heidfeld was the quickest in the field when he tested Renault's innovative new car at Jerez, and he is not ruling out securing his first grand prix win this year. "In the longer term I still want to win the world championship. I won't be put off from my goal."
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