While his Formula One hopes for this year may have faded away, Nick Heidfeld is poised to make a switch to sports car racing.
Team sources have indicated to SPEED.com that the 34-year-old has signed with Rebellion Racing for a partial season of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Heidfeld will pilot one of the Anglo-Swiss squad’s Lola B12/60 Toyotas at the Twelve Hours of Sebring, Six Hours of Spa and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Last week, the team confirmed its WEC participation with drivers Neel Jani, Nicolas Prost, Andrea Belicchi and Harold Primat for the eight-round global championship, with two final drivers to be announced.
Having spent the last 12 years in F1 with a variety of teams, including Prost, Sauber and Williams, Heidfeld was replaced by Bruno Senna mid-season at Renault, putting the German on the sidelines and questions looming over his 2012 plans.
While rumors had him taking up a new career in DTM, potentially with BMW, the Bavarian manufacturer completed its six-driver lineup earlier this month, leaving Heidfeld without a seat in the new-look touring car championship.
An official announcement of Heidfeld’s signing is expected to come on Feb. 2, when Rebellion's WEC entries will be likely confirmed by the ACO.
It's unclear who will take the sixth and final seat at Rebellion for the opening three rounds of the season.
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