“If I used to be any extra relaxed, I’d be liquid.”
Veteran Formulation 1 driver Nico Hulkenberg, by his personal admission, prefers issues to be “good and straightforward.” And but, after sitting out the final three full seasons with solely a handful of stand-in appearances, he selected to return to a full-time seat in F1 – the place life is something however “good and straightforward”.
In a sport the place followers appear rabid for any morsel of off-track drama to devour, F1 drivers might be as measured and exact of their alternative of phrases as they’re about their wing angles or anti-roll bar settings. So it’s little marvel that trendy drivers have a fame for holding again with what they actually suppose, as a substitute of being actually sincere.
After which, there’s Nico Hulkenberg.
The 36-year-old veteran of Formulation 1 might not spring instantly to thoughts as among the many most maverick drivers of the twenty first century like Juan Pablo Montoya or Mark Webber. However, in comparison with his 19 friends, he may nicely be among the many most straight-talking skills on the present grid. And in contrast to the likes of, say, Max Verstappen, the Haas driver doesn’t get half as a lot time within the limelight.
So a possibility to take a seat down with Hulkenberg within the Singapore paddock was an attractive one. Arriving again right into a full-time Formulation 1 seat, Hulkenberg entered the 2023 season needing to show his workforce proper for selecting him over the far youthful Mick Schumacher. However six months and one contract extension later, those that questioned his workforce’s alternative have lengthy since fallen silent.
However in spite of everything that point away, how has he discovered his return to the very best degree of motorsport?
Advert | Grow to be a RaceFans supporter and
“I haven’t spoken about that but this yr,” he begins, phrases saturated with sarcasm at first. “Let’s discuss it.”
“It’s very pleasurable,” he continues. “I feel for me, the three years sort of away from F1 have been actually optimistic, personally. To essentially disconnect from F1 and from racing and simply sort of do regular life for a bit – get married, construct a household, all these items – after which sort of turn out to be very hungry for it once more. Really feel the starvation and the fervour rather a lot once more.
“So it’s labored out rather well, truly. I really feel actually comfortable and balanced the place I’m now. Happy and hungry for extra.”
Hulkenberg joined Haas – his fifth completely different F1 outfit in a profession spanning 14 years – with the objective of steering the workforce to a greater future with equally skilled workforce mate Kevin Magnussen. However at this stage of the season, Haas are sitting in eighth within the standings – precisely the place they completed a yr in the past. However regardless of solely reaching the highest 10 in a grand prix as soon as thus far this season, Hulkenberg says his return to the game has been “largely good”.
“After all, we’ve had a troublesome run lately on Sundays and we undergo on Sundays,” he admits. “Clearly that’s irritating, particularly within the second and even the day after and stuff. However the positives nonetheless outweigh the negatives by far.
“Once I dedicated to it final yr, I knew that there was not solely going to be sunny days, there’s additionally going to be wet days and that is a part of the journey, a part of F1, a part of this job. We’re attempting clearly to work our manner by after which to make it higher.”
Advert | Grow to be a RaceFans supporter and
That journey will definitely final past 2023 as Haas have confirmed each Hulkenberg and Magnussen will race once more for them subsequent season. Workforce principal Guenther Steiner stated that Hulkenberg had “merely slotted in with out fuss or fanfare” and had “proved himself to be a useful member of the workforce”. It solely appears honest to ask him how his relationship is with the notoriously straight-shooting Steiner.
“He’s direct,” Hulkenberg says. “So am I. Perhaps that’s why we get alongside so nicely.
“He’s high quality. We have now an excellent relationship. I feel we now have good communication, open communication on a regular basis and with the ability to discuss one other language additionally truly helps and is kind of snug. So issues are good.”
Hulkenberg has spent all 197 grands prix of his profession racing for groups that completed both fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh within the constructors’ championship, however Haas look set to be the ‘worst’ performing workforce that he can have ever pushed for. Is that this the toughest he has needed to dig to try to extract outcomes from his automotive?
“I don’t wish to say the toughest,” he says. “We’ve all the time needed to dig arduous for all my profession I’ve spent within the midfield – which is fairly robust and tough on the market. You want elbows within the midfield. So it’s all the time a grind. You all the time must push. You all the time must carry your ‘A-game’.
“I really feel like within the midfield, as quickly as one factor doesn’t go proper, you pay the worth instantly. It’s fairly unforgiving, I really feel, possibly now greater than ever.
Advert | Grow to be a RaceFans supporter and
“The midfield has possibly even turn out to be greater and extra compact, extra tight. There’s no actual backmarker anymore as a result of there’s similar to 10 vehicles inside two or three tenths. So it’s very, very unforgiving and little particulars can have a big effect.”
The closeness of the midfield is partly a consequence of F1’s price range cap, which was launched throughout Hulkenberg’s time away from the cockpit. As one in every of many main adjustments applied by the FIA and the game’s house owners Liberty Media between 2019 and this season, is he proud of the route that F1 is heading in – significantly provided that he drivers for the sequence’ solely American workforce?
He takes a second. “Yeah,” he finally replies. “I’m not towards it or sad.
“Clearly an American firm owns F1. America is an enormous market anyway. Clearly there’s causes – business causes – however it is smart to go in and discover or exploit that nation a bit extra. I feel Austin has been a hit from the start – I’m an enormous fan of Austin. I feel Miami has additionally been a hit. Let’s see what Las Vegas has to supply.”
Though being mired within the midfield has been the truth of Hulkenberg’s profession all through his time in Formulation 1, he all the time aspired to finish up combating for extra. Becoming a member of the grid with Williams after profitable the GP2 championship as a rookie in a area that featured many future F1 drivers – Sergio Perez, Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado, Kamui Kobayashi, Vitaly Petrov, Jerome d’Ambrosio, Karun Chandhok, Lucas di Grassi and Giedo van der Garde – his potential appeared boundless. And when he took a well-known pole place at Interlagos, it felt like that was absolutely the primary of many.
But it by no means transpired that manner. Finally, he holds the unlucky file of essentially the most grands prix with out a podium and is staring down the prospect of overtaking Andrea de Cesaris for essentially the most grand prix begins with out a victory if he fails to take a chequered flag by the top of subsequent yr’s Miami Grand Prix.
Advert | Grow to be a RaceFans supporter and
Naturally, he’s doing the most effective he can with what he has to try to make that occur. However should you ask him if he thinks he may nonetheless turn out to be world champion, that refreshing honesty of his comes ahead.
“No – it’s a bit foolish for me to say that,” he admits, frankly. “I feel that’s not sensible.
“As a lot as possibly you wish to dream about it or do dream about it, I feel that’s not on the playing cards for the second. For me, it’s about having fun with the experience, having fun with what I do and getting essentially the most out of it each time.
“I feel that’s a extremely essential line, as a result of on this business and sport, you’re solely going to win when you’ve got the best materials. If you happen to don’t, your actuality is you’re simply not going to win. That is simply how it’s. Except one thing very loopy occurs, unexpected. So the subsequent massive factor for me is to do completely what you possibly can and to carry your A-game each time and to maximise what you could have.”
This thought-about response isn’t any shock for a driver who has had loads of time sitting on the sidelines and watching from the skin in. Having virtually a full decade of racing in Formulation 1 solely to take an prolonged break free earlier than rejoining, it’s solely pure that he has developed a unique perspective on the game.
“I feel it’s extra that I’m simply in a superb headspace,” he explains. “I’m comfortable the place I’m. I really feel very snug in my very own pores and skin.
“I feel in direction of the top of my first stint, there have been moments the place I didn’t like going within the paddock a lot and issues obtained a bit of, like, tense and tight additionally with the workforce, with the administration again then. I simply wasn’t feeling so comfortable anymore, wasn’t having fun with it a lot. So I suppose that’s completely different and that’s simply then a superb optimistic feeling, an atmosphere that makes me comfortable.”
No matter his future at Haas – or certainly Formulation 1 – has in retailer for him, Hulkenberg will not be going to get sucked into any pointless moping over whether or not or not he’ll find yourself getting that elusive win or podium.
“It’s not on my thoughts,” he insists. “It’s like I stated, wish to maximise what I’ve. So long as we don’t have the fabric I feel that’s not on the playing cards. That’s not sensible.
“After all, I wish to be as profitable as doable, as we are able to, but when it occurs, nice. If not, life goes on.”
Advert | Grow to be a RaceFans supporter and
Grow to be a RaceFans Supporter
RaceFans is run thanks partly to the beneficiant assist of its readers. By contributing £1 per thirty days or £12 per yr (or the identical in whichever foreign money you employ) you possibly can assist cowl the prices of making, internet hosting and creating RaceFans at present and sooner or later.
Grow to be a RaceFans Supporter at present and browse the location ad-free. Join or discover out extra by way of the hyperlinks under:
2023 F1 season
Browse all 2023 F1 season articles
