Nico Hulkenberg realised he wanted a break from F1 after 2019
Nico Hulkenberg, who will return full-time to F1 with Haas in 2023, says 2019 was not 'great' - and he realised he wanted time away.
Follow Us
Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg will return to Formula 1 with Haas, after having sat out a regular seat for three seasons. In his ‘break’, he still served drove five Grands Prix for Racing Point and then Aston Martin, for whom he drove in a total of five Grands Prix. His experience has played a large part in his return – with him being picked to replace Mick Schumacher. In the words of Guenther Steiner, Haas have a shorter route to get back where they once were with Hulkenberg.
The move itself has been rather divisive: But Hulkenberg wouldn’t care about all that, because he now finally has a regular F1 seat again. However, he does feel that the break was needed. Daniel Ricciardo, who will serve as Red Bull’s ‘third driver’ this year and attend a couple of Grands Prix, is in a similar situation. The Australian intends to use the break to ‘rediscover’ his ‘intense love’ for F1. ‘Hulk’ thinks that his case, from back in 2019, is somewhat akin to Ricciardo’s own.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, the German said: “It’s been very positive for me. Obviously, I can only talk about my own case. But yeah, 2019 was not always great. I felt I wanted that time away at that point. And then once you step away, you also develop a different understanding and new perspectives on how things went, what you’ve done.” adding that he felt his time way, with the ‘professional disconnection’ helped him a lot.
Nico Hulkenberg missed the ‘thrill’ of Formula 1
Also like Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Hulkenberg remained connected with Formula 1 throughout this ‘break’ period – as he was still reserve driver for Racing Point / Aston Martin. This role, of course, was very different from that of a regular driver, even if the German driver competed in multiple races. It was relaxing, but he missed the ‘excitement’ all drivers get from the sport, and, so, he wants to continue racing for ‘some more time’.
“It was a very different role to what I used to do. If you’re not in the car, if you’re not in the hot seat, and you don’t have to perform day in, day out, it’s a very different feeling. You’re much more relaxed, because you just cut out the bad days that you get in the car. So from that point of view that’s been relaxed, but at the same time you miss what you get from racing, the excitement, the thrill, the kick. And that’s also that feeling that prevailed, that I want to go back, and I want to do this for some more time.”
It’ll be interesting to see how many years Nico Hulkenberg will stick around in the paddock – he’ll turn 36 next year. Before his time comes (permanently), he’ll surely look to get that elusive podium. Perhaps a win too.
In case you missed it:
- “Hulkenblock” – Fans react as Nico Hulkenberg goes for the most unique driver logo in F1
- “Mick is certainly, in the long term, the better choice,” Marc Surer gives his opinion on the Mick Schumacher versus Nico Hulkenberg battle
Stay Updated!
Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)