Nico Hulkenberg makes F1 return as Haas overlook Schumacher

Hulkenberg, Aston Martin, Bahrain, 2022 — Photo: © LAT Images

Haas

BREAKING: Hulkenberg makes F1 return as Haas overlook Schumacher

Hulkenberg has been out of a full-time F1 drive since 2019

Ewan Gale & Sam Hall

Thursday 17 November 2022 06:30 Updated: 10:03

Nico Hulkenberg will make his full-time F1 comeback next season with Haas on a one-year deal.

The American-owned team made the announcement ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, bringing an end to season-long speculation surrounding the seat alongside Kevin Magnussen.

Mick Schumacher had shown improvement across the year in only his second campaign, but worries had grown over the frequency of expensive crashes from the German, the latest of which came after the end of FP1 in Japan.

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It seems that was enough for owner Gene Haas and team principal Guenther Steiner to look elsewhere, with Hulkenberg given another bite of the F1 apple.

The 35-year-old last competed in the sport full-time in 2019 for what was then Renault.

But in the time since, Hulkenberg has been a part of Racing Point, now Aston Martin, as its reserve driver.

His racing pedigree was backed up by impressive substitute appearances in 2020, standing in for Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll, whilst he also tasted the new F1 machinery when taking over for Sebastian Vettel in the opening two rounds of the current campaign.

“I’m very happy to move into a full-time race seat with Haas F1 Team in 2023,” said Hülkenberg. “I feel like I never really left Formula 1.

"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."

Hulkenberg completes "very credible and well-seasoned" line-up

Hulkenberg will complete his first miles for the team following the Abu Dhabi season finale, taking part in the end-of-season test at the same venue with reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi lapping in the second car.

From having one of the youngest line-ups on the grid in 2021 with Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, Haas will now be fielding one of the oldest, with Hulkenberg 35 and Magnussen 30.

“I’m naturally very pleased to be welcoming Nico Hülkenberg back to a full-time racing role in Formula 1,” added team principal Guenther Steiner.

“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.”