Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has suggested it will assess all options before opening talks with Nico Hulkenberg beyond 2023.
The American outfit opted to dispense with Mick Schumacher at the end of last year, taking the decision to bring Nico Hulkenberg back into the fray after three seasons away.
Hulkenberg, 35, has been mightily impressive since his return, out-qualifying Kevin Magnussen at all three rounds and getting off the mark in Australia with an assured drive to seventh place.
While it appears a renewal between Haas and the German will therefore be a formality, Steiner considers it still too early in the year to be discussing contract talks.
The Italian also suggested that Haas will assess the driver market before committing to its current line-up, potentially also applying pressure on an underperforming Magnussen to deliver in the coming races.
“It depends whether we are happy with him or not,” he explained.
“We also have to see what alternatives there are, that’s what it’s all about. Sometimes it’s important to stick to the status quo and get some peace and quiet into the house.
“But we haven’t talked about drivers or extensions at the moment.”
Speaking ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Steiner claimed “everybody” in Formula 1 will be wanting to talk to Daniel Ricciardo about a race seat for 2024.
Ricciardo was dropped by McLaren at the end of last year after a difficult 2022 season and was not able to salvage a full-time drive to remain on the F1 grid.
Steiner has hinted that he intends to speak with the Australian about his prospects for next year but also declared he’s been extremely impressed by the impact of Hulkenberg’s addition.
“I think Nico feels comfortable with us,” he said. “The team and the engineers love working with him.
“He helps the team a lot to bring in his experience to bring us further forward.”
Following a somewhat fractious relationship with Schumacher and his entourage, Steiner has added that his personal relationship with Hulkenberg has been strong thus far.
“When I need him, he’s there for me – and when he needs me, I’m there for him.”
Having dispensed with its long-serving duo of Magnussen and Romain Grosjean at the end of 2019 for two rookies – Nikita Mazepin alongside Schumacher – amid financial difficulties, Hulkenberg’s comeback has returned Haas to the model of prioritising experience in its driver line-up.
With both drivers delivering points in the first three races and avoiding the costly crashes that encapsulated Schumacher’s time with the team, Steiner added he can have no complaints about the Hulkenberg and Magnussen combination.
“Nico is settling in very, very well,” he continued. “I mean, he’s a professional, he has done this before, settled into a new team. That was one of the reasons we took him.
“He’s getting on good with Kevin. I think it’s a very good relationship, professional, you know. They are both now mature racers.
“They know what we expect from them. And they both deliver, and they try to work together to bring the team forward. And that is all that we wanted.
“So at a moment, I have no complaints on that side and hopefully it stays like this.”
Discussion about this post