“I have to be that realistic”– Nico Hulkenberg believes he has to move on from F1 after 2022

“I have to be that realistic”– Nico Hulkenberg talks about his time to move on from F1 and believing no big team wants him anymore.

Nico Hulkenberg had his last stint with Renault till 2019, and after that, he gave two odd race performances for Racing Point (now Aston Martin), and now he’s a reserve driver for both Mercedes and Aston Martin.

But he believes this settlement can’t go in for long and would have to move on from Formula 1 if he doesn’t get a starting position in a team by 2022.

“I think I know how it will go,” Hulkenberg told Bild. “Everyone can calculate that for themselves and I have no illusions. The doors of the top teams are closed for me. I have to be that realistic. If it doesn’t happen now, the Formula 1 chapter will be closed for me.”

No regrets

After 179 starts in F1 in his name, Hulkenberg has the record of most starts without a Grand Prix podium, but the German has no regrets over his lack of accomplishments in the sport.

“I see it as a new opportunity,” he said. “I’ve had enough time now to think about everything. “Of course, I made a few mistakes, and maybe my career would have turned out differently. But I don’t regret anything.”

Hulkenberg was certainly a decent midtable driver, who could fetch in crucial points consistently, but he had some bad luck with the podiums,

Last year, he could appear only in two races, despite being called in for three Grand Prix, as in the British Grand Prix, he had to settle with a DNS because of a technical failure.

But in the other two races, he managed to fetch 10 points, an impressive score, considering he was without a team for several months and out of touch.

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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