Nico Hulkenberg expresses contentment with his inaugural season back in Formula 1 after rejoining the grid with Haas.
Since his F1 debut with Williams at the 2010 Bahrain GP, Hulkenberg has participated in 193 Grand Prix races.
His journey included tenures with Force India, Sauber, and Renault, followed by a transition out of a full-time seat at the conclusion of 2019.
Remaining involved as a substitute driver for Racing Point/Aston Martin in 2020 and 2022, the German driver was still on rival teams’ radar. This connection proved beneficial when Haas’ principal, Guenther Steiner, sought a replacement for Mick Schumacher.
Since his return, Hulkenberg has excelled in qualifying, often reaching the final round. However, VF-23’s tire issues limited top-ten finishes, with one in Australia.
Austria’s sprint race yielded a sixth-place finish, but a power unit glitch halted his next-day Grand Prix. Despite modest points, Hulkenberg remains content with his comeback decision.
He told Motosports.com: “When we signed and I started here, I knew it was not just going to be sunny days. There’s also going to be tough days and work ahead of us.
“You have a great Saturday and obviously you feel hyped; expectations, especially from the outside, go up,” he said. “But I think we’ve known for a couple of months now; the Sunday issues are just too big at the moment.
“Of course in that moment on Sundays, or during the race and right after, it is a bit frustrating, and it is a bit disappointing,” he admitted. “Not just for me but for the whole team, because we’re all in it.”
When asked if he was still happy with his choice to return to full-time F1 with Haas, Hulkenberg responded without hesitation:
“Oh yes, 100 percent,” remarked the 35-year-old.
“It still gives me pleasure. I still enjoy being back a lot and all the positives outweigh the problems on Sundays,” adding that the challenge was to “to manage expectations within the team”.
