Nick Heidfeld will be demoted three places on the grid for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix after stewards deemed him to have impeded Rubens Barrichello in qualifying.

Heidfeld was peeling off into the pitlane in Q1 when Rubens Barrichello, who was on a flying lap, caught the BMW Sauber driver.

Under pressure BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld gave his chances of staying with the team for next year a further boost in Spa-Francorchamps after an impressive charge to the third step of the podium, courtesy of a well-timed switch to wet tyres.

Nick Heidfeld sent a stark reminder to his BMW employees that he is still every bit a threat to the front-runners after planting his car on the third row of the grid in Spa, keeping McLaren firmly in his sights.

Nick Heidfeld went quickest in the final practice session ahead of qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps.

A late dash from the BMW Sauber driver saw him edge out McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen with a 1:47.876 ahead of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in third and fourth.

Under pressure driver Nick Heidfeld went quickest on the second day of testing at Monza sending a stark message of intent to BMW Sauber’s senior management. But the real test will come today on the third and final day of running in the Ardenne, as team-mate Robert Kubica takes to the track.

Sébastien Bourdais has been demoted five grid positions after Stewards judged that he impeded BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld in the opening knock-out qualifying session for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Heidfeld’s final flying lap, along with his hopes of making it into Q2, were written off when he closed up onto the gearbox of the Scuderia Toro Rosso driver on his final flying lap and ran wide on the final corner.