Haas F1 team confirms Nico Hülkenberg as their 2023 F1 driver
Haas F1 Team has signed Germany’s Nico Hülkenberg to contest the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship alongside Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen.
Hülkenberg (35), a Formula 1 veteran with 181 career starts and a 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans race winner with Porsche, makes his full-time return to the sport next year with the American squad having spent the past two seasons in the role of reserve driver for the Aston Martin F1 Team.
Hülkenberg was active in the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship standing in for Sebastian Vettel at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix and again at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but the Emmerich-born racer made his first Formula 1 start back in 2010 debuting for Williams at the Bahrain Grand Prix following a stellar junior career.
A champion in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport with A1 Team Germany in 2006-07, Hülkenberg then won the 2008 Formula 3 Euro Series followed by the 2009 GP2 Series (now known as the FIA Formula 2 Championship) – prompting a swift graduation into Formula 1 for 2010.
Having raced for Williams, Force India, Sauber, Renault, Racing Point and Aston Martin, Hülkenberg has amassed 521 career points in Formula 1 – including one pole position (Brazil 2010), two fastest laps and a best-finish of fourth three times. The German holds a qualifying resume which includes 94 Q3 appearances. A career high of seventh place in the Driver Standings came with Renault back in the 2018 season.
Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1
“I’m naturally very pleased to be welcoming Nico Hülkenberg back to a full-time racing role in Formula 1,” commented Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team.
“The experience and knowledge base Nico brings to the team is clear to see – with nearly 200 career starts in Formula 1 – and a reputation as being a great qualifier and a solid, reliable racer. These are attributes, which when you pair them together with Kevin Magnussen’s experience, gives us a very credible and well-seasoned driver line-up which we believe will help push the team onwards up the grid.
"That’s obviously the goal and it was that ambition that has prompted Nico’s return to Formula 1 – he shares our vision and can be a key player together with the rest of the team in building on the foundations we’ve laid this year with our return to the points battle.”
“I’m very happy to move into a full-time race seat with Haas F1 Team in 2023. I feel like I never really left Formula 1," said Hülkenberg.
"I’m excited to have the opportunity to do what I love the most again and want to thank Gene Haas and Günther Steiner for their trust. We have work ahead of us to be able to compete with all the other teams in the midfield, and I cannot wait to join that battle again.”
Hülkenberg will start work for Haas F1 Team on Tuesday 22nd November participating in the end of season Formula 1 test hosted in Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit – Hülkenberg piloting this season’s VF-22 alongside the team’s test and reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi in the second car.
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Unsurprising, but I’m still unconvinced that he would necessarily be an improvement from Mick, considering he hasn’t raced actively for nearly three full years.
My view would be different if he’d raced in F1 full-time throughout these three seasons or at least this season.
I wonder what ultimately dropped Gio off the list over time, as he hadn’t really been mentioned anymore, even before his COTA FP1 crash.
tbh i think this is a step backwards for haas, they shouldve kept mick.suprisimg nothing was mentioned about crashaspin when he was bankrolling the team
When he was bankrolling the team , Putin wasn't on his jollies in Ukraine thats why..!
I could be wrong, but it would be the first time ever. 😎 But I'm quite skeptical that only this morning, apparently in Europe or possibly Abu Dhabi, that Mick was just informed that his services were no longer needed. If that's so, why perhaps did Ferarri sever ties a month ago? I don't know. Peculiar.
This not about HUL. I've always rated him and would love to see him finally get a podium. This about Hass. I am an American and should be all in supporting a US team. I am not. Mr. Haas, it appears, is only interested in the F1 team as a satellite business. He invests far too much confidence in a mediocre team manager who continues to make mistakes. These guys might be good promoters, but they are not racers. Sell to Andretti and let's, at least, have a real US racing team.
Gene Haas stays in F1 for the money. Even if he is dead last every year, he gets enough money from the annual payout to make it worth it, even if he had to file it as a net loss, then he gets to use that to deduct from his business taxes, so he doesn't care and doesn't want to sell. He couldn't give a 💩 whether they are successful or not. That's my take.
Have to agree, Andretti would pay $$$+++ to get on the grid and stick two fingers up at Liberty
Re Liberty, Maffei was on a business channel this morning and affirmed that Liberty's only interest in F1 is profit.
Here I go again,, as I've said before, always liked Nh but he has had his chances and he can't work bl**dy miracles "sorry Ror" with a team like Hass,, to much of an ask and will end in tears,, at least mick shu was getting accustomed to the car Nh has to start from scratch, you only have to watch how hard KMag is working, trying to claim a few points. Nh will take a year to get used to the car and he still won't improve... Should have kept MS.
I'm torn. I agree about Mick, but I think Nico can get everything out of it fairly quickly. In the end, we'll see. He might get his first taste of it, in the post Abu Dhabi tests.
Having a young and race/f1 inexp driver as test/development driver Imo isn't the ideal way to go , it is for him, ie Mick as it keeps a foot in the door, Nico will have provided more feedback about any cars goodbits/failings than Mick ever can --Imo exp V youth, as for him getting up to speed---of the car, not his f1 race skills, i think again given Nicos exp hell be up to speed quite quick, which hopefully is what the HaasVR23 will be.
Hope you're right, I'd like to think so.
Loserville all round
Gene has the patience of a Saint
More door slamming to come?
excellent move by HAAS to sign Hulkenberg to the team. His development skills will be very beneficial to the team, assisting them to improve the car and progress up the points ladder.
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