Nico Hulkenberg makes his first ride with the Haas. Next season Hulkenberg has a special German status. Does he feel pressure?
The new Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg does not feel any particular pressure due to his special status as the only regular German Formula 1 driver for the coming season.
“No, not at all,” said Hulkenberg at a media round in response to a question before the final test drives in Abu Dhabi. “I don’t feel any pressure from that side.”
The 35-year-old will get the cockpit of Mick Schumacher for the US team for 2023, who has aroused great interest at Mercedes as a reserve driver. Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel ended his career on Sunday.
“These are natural cycles that nations come and go in Formula 1,” said Hulkenberg. “Germany was very spoiled for decades with Michael (Schumacher), (Nico) Rosberg, Sebastian (Vettel) and Mercedes as manufacturers.” In Hülkenberg’s premiere season in 2010, there were even seven German drivers at the start.
At the end of 2019, the Rhinelander no longer had a contract with Renault as a regular driver. After strong performances as a test driver at Racing Point and the successor team Aston Martin, he is now making his comeback. The test in Abu Dhabi is “a little foretaste to get a feel for the car,” said Hulkenberg. The “hunger for racing, to be the fire in Formula 1” is all there with him.
Preloaded Haas Duo
But Haas has a driver pairing that is biased. In 2017 at the Grand Prix in Hungary, Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen first clashed on the track and then verbally afterwards. The Dane was “once again the most unsportsmanlike driver in the field,” said the then Renault driver during a TV interview about the Haas driver. Magnussen responded with an insult below the belt.
“I expect a good relationship,” Hulkenberg said. “We clarified the incident and broke the ice at the beginning of the year. I said the same things to him as a greeting as in 2017, he found it funny and amusing,” said Hulkenberg, completely relaxed.
It is not yet clear how his commitment as a Formula 1 expert for Servus TV will continue. That remains to be seen, said Hulkenberg.
Source: Stern
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