Formula 1’s driver market has taken another twist amid a report that Nico Hulkenberg could land at Haas for the 2023 Formula 1 season.
Hulkenberg currently acts as Aston Martin’s reserve driver, and has been forced to substitute on a number of occasions across the last two years.
His most recent came at the opening two rounds of the 2022 campaign, replacing Sebastian Vettel who tested positive for Covid-19.
Although he has not been a full-time driver since the 2019 season with Renault, the German has been linked with a return to the grid next year.
Auto Motor und Sport reports that Hulkenberg is the favourite to land at Haas for the 2023 campaign.
The US-owned squad has Kevin Magnussen tied up to a long-term deal, however Mick Schumacher’s contract expires at the end of the year.
The report indicates that Daniel Ricciardo, who will leave McLaren at the conclusion of 2022, is an outside candidate for the drive due to his underperformances over the last 18 months.
However, Hulkenberg has impressed with his substitute performances in 2020 and 2022, which has brought his name into the conversation for a return to F1.
Hulkenberg spent nine full seasons in F1, competing with Williams, Sauber, Force India and Renault, taking a best result of fourth place.
He also achieved his one and only pole position to date during his rookie season in 2010.
Why? I know the guy is likable but hes average at best. Get a new kid in there or stick with schumi.
He is the real deal. Just never been given even a remotely decent car before. But at the same time, he is now 35 years of age. Probably one of the biggest wastes of talent along with guys like Button and Rosberg (except the last three years of his career), who both should be 2-3 world champions at least.
Seems like a good choice if you never want to be on the podium. XD
Yes, it would certainly be a downgrade for him as he is better off not being in F1 at all rather than being with a team like that.
Unless Schumacher has been offered an alternative seat, which he intends to take, and I doubt that is the case, it would certainly make more sense to stick with him than go to Hulkenberg. Given how far the Haas cars were off the back of the pack last season, this is effectively Schumacher’s first season of racing against Formula One opposition, and he hasn’t done all that badly. Magnussen was off the mark like a rocket in the first four races, a stage when Schumacher was essentially competing against other teams for the first time, but since then the team has been in the points just twice, and Schumacher has outscored his teammate on both those occasions. There’s no way he’ll ever achieve what his father did, but he’s not the only one in that club, and should be judged on his own merits not by the family name. On that basis, he shows enough signs for improvement to gain himself another year as a youngish driver on an upward curve.