“If I used to be any extra relaxed, I might be liquid.”
Veteran System 1 driver Nico Hulkenberg, by his personal admission, prefers issues to be “good and simple.” 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 simple”.
In a sport the place followers appear rabid for any morsel of off-track drama to devour, F1 drivers could 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 surprise that trendy drivers have a repute for holding again with what they actually assume, as an alternative of being really trustworthy.
After which, there’s Nico Hulkenberg.
The 36-year-old veteran of System 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 might effectively be among the many most straight-talking abilities 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 sit down down with Hulkenberg within the Singapore paddock was an attractive one. Arriving again right into a full-time System 1 seat, Hulkenberg entered the 2023 season needing to show his crew proper for selecting him over the far youthful Mick Schumacher. However six months and one contract extension later, those that questioned his crew’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?
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“I haven’t spoken about that but this yr,” he begins, phrases saturated with sarcasm at first. “Let’s speak about it.”
“It’s very gratifying,” he continues. “I believe for me, the three years type of away from F1 had been actually optimistic, personally. To essentially disconnect from F1 and from racing and simply type of do regular life for a bit – get married, construct a household, all these items – after which type of turn out to be very hungry for it once more. Really feel the starvation and the fervour quite a bit once more.
“So it’s labored out rather well, truly. I really feel actually completely satisfied 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 aim of steering the crew to a greater future with equally skilled crew 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 to date this season, Hulkenberg says his return to the game has been “principally good”.
“After all, we’ve had a troublesome run not too long ago on Sundays and we endure 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 making an attempt clearly to work our means by means of after which to make it higher.”
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That journey will definitely final past 2023 as Haas have confirmed each Hulkenberg and Magnussen will race once more for them subsequent season. Group principal Guenther Steiner mentioned that Hulkenberg had “merely slotted in with out fuss or fanfare” and had “proved himself to be a beneficial member of the crew”. 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 effectively.
“He’s advantageous. We’ve an excellent relationship. I believe we’ve good communication, open communication on a regular basis and having the ability to speak one other language additionally truly helps and is sort of comfy. 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 crew that he could 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 need to say the toughest,” he says. “We’ve at all times needed to dig exhausting for all my profession I’ve spent within the midfield – which is fairly powerful and tough on the market. You want elbows within the midfield. So it’s at all times a grind. You at all times must push. You at all times must convey your ‘A-game’.
“I really feel like within the midfield, as quickly as one factor doesn’t go proper, you pay the value instantly. It’s fairly unforgiving, I really feel, perhaps now greater than ever.
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“The midfield has perhaps even turn out to be larger 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 huge impact.”
The closeness of the midfield is partly a consequence of F1’s funds cap, which was launched throughout Hulkenberg’s time away from the cockpit. As certainly one 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 course that F1 is heading in – notably on condition that he drivers for the collection’ solely American crew?
He takes a second. “Yeah,” he ultimately 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 – but it surely is smart to go in and discover or exploit that nation a bit extra. I believe Austin has been a hit from the start – I’m an enormous fan of Austin. I believe Miami has additionally been a hit. Let’s see what Las Vegas has to supply.”
Though being mired within the midfield has been the fact of Hulkenberg’s profession all through his time in System 1, he at all times aspired to finish up preventing for extra. Becoming a member of the grid with Williams after successful the GP2 championship as a rookie in a discipline 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 means. Finally, he holds the unlucky report of probably the most grands prix and not using a podium and is staring down the prospect of overtaking Andrea de Cesaris for probably the most grand prix begins and not using a victory if he fails to take a chequered flag by the tip of subsequent yr’s Miami Grand Prix.
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Naturally, he’s doing the perfect he can with what he has to try to make that occur. However should you ask him if he thinks he might 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 believe that’s not practical.
“As a lot as perhaps you need to dream about it or do dream about it, I believe that’s not on the playing cards for the second. For me, it’s about having fun with the journey, having fun with what I do and getting probably the most out of it each time.
“I believe that’s a very vital line, as a result of on this business and sport, you’re solely going to win when you have the suitable materials. For those who 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 following large factor for me is to do completely what you may and to convey your A-game each time and to maximise what you have got.”
This thought-about response is not any shock for a driver who has had loads of time sitting on the sidelines and watching from the skin in. Having nearly a full decade of racing in System 1 solely to take an prolonged break free earlier than rejoining, it’s solely pure that he has developed a distinct perspective on the game.
“I believe it’s extra that I’m simply in a very good headspace,” he explains. “I’m completely satisfied the place I’m. I really feel very comfy in my very own pores and skin.
“I believe in direction of the tip of my first stint, there have been moments the place I didn’t like going within the paddock a lot and issues bought a bit, like, tense and tight additionally with the crew, with the administration again then. I simply wasn’t feeling so completely satisfied anymore, wasn’t having fun with it a lot. So I suppose that’s completely different and that’s simply then a very good optimistic feeling, an atmosphere that makes me completely satisfied.”
No matter his future at Haas – or certainly System 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 mentioned, need to maximise what I’ve. So long as we don’t have the fabric I believe that’s not on the playing cards. That’s not practical.
“After all, I need to be as profitable as attainable, as we are able to, but when it occurs, nice. If not, life goes on.”
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