Nico Hulkenberg, who has been sidelined from Formula 1 for the coming season, does not wish to return to the sport without any real chance of being competitive.
Esteban Ocon’s arrival at Renault for the coming season has precipitated Nico Hulkenberg’s departure from Formula One. The German driver could have found refuge with Haas, but there too, another Frenchman, Romain Grosjean, stood in his way.
At a dead end and refusing to join a grid-bottom team like Williams, Hulkenberg resigned himself to a move away from F1 in 2020. For the time being, the German is having a good time and adapting to a different pace than he has had to do for the last ten years.
“I feel good about myself and I’m delighted to see the Formula 1 season from a different perspective.
“I feel good about myself and I’m delighted to see the Formula 1 season from a different perspective,” says the German.
In particular, he spent a few days in Brazil to attend the Rio Carnival as he shared on his Instagram account:
“I relaxed a lot at home, met friends, slowed down my pace and just lived from day to day,
“I also do sports and keep myself in great shape, but not as intensely as usual in preparation for the season. In fact, I do what I want to do and I like it.
Hulkenberg would like to return to Formula One in the near future, but not under just any conditions.
“Quite simply, it has to look good, it has to fit what I want and there has to be a good sporting perspective. It wouldn’t make sense for me to drive for a team without any real chances. It’s out of the question for me.”
A commitment to Formula E wouldn’t be out of the question either.
“The championship has evolved extremely strongly in recent years, I must say. It’s incredible what they’ve achieved and the status they’ve attained. All the top German manufacturers are there, so it would be an interesting option. ”
When asked about his fellow German compatriot, Sebastian Vettel, Hulkenberg thinks he’ll be stronger than many suspect straight away.
“Don’t rule out Sebastian! He can always come back strong.”
“With Charles Leclerc he has a strong team-mate who has become even more confident thanks to the contract extension,” Hulkenberg says
Some suspect that Ferrari ran an A-Spec car with a low power level setting, despite what team boss Mattia Binotto claims when he declared that the SF1000 is off the pace compared to the likes of Mercedes’ W11.
Big Ferrari Vettel announcement today?
An extra press conference has been scheduled for 3pm today. Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto and Sebastian Vettel to appear.
This could mean one of several things, but Leo Turrini, a well-known Ferrari insider reported last week in Italy, a new contract was offered to Vettel and now it seems it’s all done.
We will find out soon enough.
