Ralf Schumacher claims 'fantastic' F1 driver is being weighed down by his team

drivers, grid, 2023 — Photo: © LAT Images

Nico Hulkenberg

Schumacher claims 'fantastic' F1 driver is being weighed down by his team

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes Nico Hulkenberg should look to move on from Haas

Jay Winter

Tuesday 1 August 2023 21:27

Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes Nico Hulkenberg would be better off in 'any other cockpit' as the German continues to do a 'fantastic' job at Haas.

So far this season, Hulkenberg has been delivering impressive performances with five Q3 finishes and nine world championship points, outperforming his teammate Kevin Magnussen, who has just two points to his name.

However, the American team has faced difficulties in translating their qualifying prowess into strong race performances, a challenge that has not gone unnoticed by Schumacher.

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"It's evident that the car performs well in qualifying but struggles to keep up in races due to aerodynamics and tire wear," wrote Schumacher in his column for Sky Germany.

"It's only logical that a driver who is in the top ten on Saturdays and then finds himself at the back of the field during the race is disappointed. Something urgent needs to happen at Haas!"

Hulkenberg carries the unfortunate title of the most Grand Prix races without a podium place (193).

Despite cries for changes under Guenther Steiner, Schumacher believes that the German driver would be better suited to explore other F1 opportunities.

Expressing uncertainty about Hulkenberg's future, he suggests that several teams may offer more potential for the talented driver.

"Regarding his future, it's uncertain how many other F1 opportunities are available for Hülkenberg," he wrote.

"Probably, any option would be better for him than Haas. There's an impression from the outside that other teams have more potential.

"For instance, Williams is investing a lot of money and has gained new momentum, and the same can be said for Alpha Tauri. On the other hand, Haas gives the impression of stagnation.

Finding a new driver is 'not easy

Hulkenberg (middle) with Daniel Ricciardo (left) and Zhou Guanyu (background, right)

Having raced for seven F1 teams, the 35-year-old driver boasts a wealth of racing experience. However, The challenge lies in finding a suitable cockpit for Hulkenberg, as he is regarded as a strong qualifier but faces difficulties in fully exploiting his potential during races.

"Finding a new cockpit for Nico is not easy," continued Schumacher.

"He has a bit of an image as a perfect qualifier, but he struggles to fully exploit his potential during races, which is why he really wants a good race car.

"I believe he is currently grappling with not having the opportunity to prove that. Nevertheless, I still think he's doing a fantastic job.

Hulkenberg's abysmal weekend in Belgium hasn't helped the German's case. However, with a two-week break, Haas will be looking to turn around their fortunes at the Dutch Grand Prix.