Hülkenberg in the frame for 2022 Williams seat

Nico Hülkenberg could make another comeback to the F1 grid next season after Williams team principal Jost Capito refused to rule him out of the running for a seat.

With George Russell tipped to join Mercedes, with team principal Toto Wolff revealing he will make a definitive call during the summer break, it would leave Williams with a place to fill alongside Nicholas Latifi.

Asked if German Hülkenberg was in the running, Capito said: “At the moment we do not exclude any driver who would be available for next year and Nico is available for next year. We have got quite a long list.”

Hülkenberg is often named as one of the sport’s top talents but he remains F1’s nearly man as he never made it into the right car at the right time to make a real mark during his 179 starts.

The 33-year-old first drove an F1 car in a test with Williams in 2007 and made his race debut for the team three years later. He went on to race for Force India, Sauber and Renault before dropping off the grid in 2019.

After secured a position as Racing Point’s test and reserve driver, he then made three appearances last year when both of the team’s regular drivers, Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll, were sidelined with Covid-19.

If Russell does move to Mercedes, however, it is believed the most likely scenario is in a straight swap with Lewis Hamilton’s current team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who himself drove for Williams at the start of his career.

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