Nico Hulkenberg draws praise from German media for his emphatic return to F1
Nico Hulkenberg has been singled out as one of the biggest surprises this season with special mentions coming from German media. The Haas driver drew praise from former F1 podium scorer and Toyota driver Timo Glock.
Hulkenberg was forced to sit out after the 2019 F1 season. The German's contract was not renewed by Renault and was replaced by Esteban Ocon. Not getting another seat for the 2020 F1 season meant Nico Hulkenberg was forced to sit out until the 2023 F1 season, where he got his first full-time seat in the sport in three years.
Since his return, Nico Hulkenberg has been very impressive. He has outclassed Kevin Magnussen in qualifying and by the 2023 F1 Australian GP, he had got a handle on how to manage the race as well.
Talking about Hulkenberg's performance at the 2023 F1 Australian GP in his column for Sky Germany, Timo Glock said:
"You have to take your hat off to Nico Hülkenberg! How he came back, that's strong! Nico made a very clear statement in the first three races. He does everything right and puts himself in a position where other teams take notice of him."
He added:
"Nico does what feels good to him and that reflects in his results. He is extremely easygoing and very focused. He looks at himself and not left and right and works hard. Apparently, he has already tested a lot in the simulator beforehand."
"In this way, he creates a good basis for the races ahead of the weekends. He drives with a good pace and has his team-mate clearly under control at the moment. Kevin Magnussen will ask himself one or two questions."
Nico Hulkenberg out of a contract at the end of the season
Surprisingly, Hulkenberg will be out of a contract at the end of the 2023 F1 season. The Haas driver was picked up on a one-year contract by the American team. With the German showing no signs of slowing down, an extension on his contract would not come as a surprise.
However, there is an interesting situation that could arise where the German could get approached by another team. There is a possibility that a seat could open up at Sauber/Audi.
With the German having previously worked with the Volkswagen group, we could be looking at Hulkenberg making a move out of Haas to a team with arguably better prospects.