F1 News: Nico Hulkenberg and Mick Schumacher battle for 2023 Haas seat
Since losing his position with Renault at the end of 2019, Nico Hulkenberg has been consistently mentioned as a viable option on the F1 driver market.
The 35-year-old established himself as one of the best in the midfield, producing very strong campaigns for Sauber (2013), Force India (2014-16) and Renault (2017-19) throughout his career.
His performances as “super sub” in 2020 were especially impressive, qualifying third before finishing seventh in Silverstone after a last-minute call to action from Racing Point.
However, status as an ever-reliable midfield driver (something the likes of Heidfeld and Kobayashi can attest to) is not always a safeguard against the unpredictable and volatile nature of the driver market.
Mick Schumacher’s position at Haas is far from secure, which presents an opportunity for Hulkenberg to make his F1 return.
Schumacher’s start to the season was objectively below-par, with a lack of consistency and overall performance allowing teammate Kevin Magnussen to create a gap in the standings.
Despite some crucial points in Britain and Austria, Guenther Steiner has not yet been convinced that the 23-year-old is deserving of a contract extension.
Considering that Magnussen is also prone to mistakes and spells of poor form, it is unsurprising that Haas is considering Nico Hulkenberg, who is arguably the better driver than the Dane.
With that said, Magnussen has a multi-year deal that secures his future with the team, so Schumacher must prove that he can become a source of stability for the American outfit.
Recent form suggests that Schumacher is at the very least matching his teammate, so it remains to be seen if his upturn in performance is enough to earn a new contract.
