"F1 is the pinnacle of racing": Why drivers like Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen came back after leaving the sport
Haas team boss Guenther Steiner explained why drivers like Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg eventually returned to F1. Many racing drivers who have left the sport, ventured into other racing series, and then made their return.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Steiner explained how drivers like Magnussen and Hulkenberg leave because they are unable to win any races with the teams they are with. He said:
"It's very strange in Formula One when these guys leave; also Kevin, when they leave, they are all [saying], 'Yeah, I cannot win races with the team because only two or three teams can win races, you know, I'm not in that team, so I'll go and do something else, I will be fine, I will go and win races.'"
When you finally hear those three golden words: “IT’S RACE WEEK!” 💪🇦🇿
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After leaving the sport, they explore other racing series like the WEC, IndyCar, IMSA, etc. and win one or two races as well. However, they get the urge to return to the sport after a while simply because it is the pinnacle of racing. Haas team boss continued:
"Then they go away, and I think they win a race in another series, you know, which is always in WEC (World Endurance Championship) or in IMSA or IndyCar, and it's always nice to win. But then I think they think back [that]: 'Well, was F1 not fantastic?' You know, because F1 is the pinnacle of racing, and then it's just one of these things, they just want to come back to F1, and then they get hungry again because they miss it."
He concluded:
"Same thing if the sun is always shining; you don't miss the rain, but the day is raining, you realize, 'Oh the sun was actually pretty good you know.'"
Red Bull team boss cautious of rivals despite having a massive lead in the 2023 F1 season
Despite dominating the field in 2023, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is wary of all the potential external threats. Though no other team is able to touch Red Bull, Horner knows that the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari, and even Aston Martin will pounce the moment they find a solution or see his team stumble. Speaking on the Talking Bulls podcast, he said:
"The team that has really surprised us - or everybody - so far this year has been Aston Martin. They've made a great step forward and Fernando has been driving incredibly well. Ferrari and Mercedes, they look like they are going to make a step at some point during the season. And then even teams like Alpine are showing flashes of pace and form. So you can't write anybody off and it would be very dangerous to do so."
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Red Bull currently sits at the top of the constructors' championship with 123 points.