Nico Hulkenberg Not Racing in F1 in 2020

David Johnson December 20, 2019

It will be heartbreaking for Formula 1 Nico Hulkenberg’s fans to not see him in action in 2020. Nico himself said it would be a shock because he has been in racing since he was seven, so it is his entire life. He wonders if he would cope well with the shock. In his interview with Formula One, Nico said,

“It is going to be a shock. I have always aimed for Formula 1 from seven pretty much, which is when you start to think and memorize stuff – so it’s been my whole life.”

It was unfortunate for Nico for not being able to secure himself a seat in 2020. Renault replaced him with Esteban Ocon, who has signed a two-year deal with Renault and will be partnering with Daniel Ricciardo.

Nico Hulkenberg F1 Performance

Nico Hulkenberg is aware of the fact that he has made a few mistakes and says that he wish he could have avoided those mistakes that have taken a toll on his career.

Hulkenberg has been in the Formula One grid for almost a decade. His departure from F1 leaves behind the statistics of one pole position, 511 points, two fastest laps, and, unfortunately, no podium finishes. Although out of his 179 races in F1, he got a start in 177 races, and he admits that very few people have got the opportunity to say this, and still having no single podium finishes is a shocking record itself.

Hulkenberg raced for Renault last season and finished with 14^th position in the drivers’ standings. However, the French team had already made up the mind to give his seat to Esteban Ocon.

What Is Nico’s Stance On The Situation?

The F1 star even saw this coming. In the last race of F1 in 2019 in Abu Dhabi Nico said,

“My future is still in stars, but for me, that’s fine. I’ve known this for a while that this moment is coming.”

The 32-year-old German racing driver took a good start with his career being among one of the five drivers since 2005 to win Formula Two championship in their debut season. His Formula Three Championships from 2006 to 2008 were even a big hit.

Willi Weber, the manager of Nico, predicted that Hulkenberg would be ready for Formula 1 till 2008 and said he had “unbelievable talent.” He even nicknamed Nico Hulkenberg as “The Hulk.”

Despite all the above facts, his long-term Formula 1 career did not go well. Yet he still believes that his mind is at peace. Even after everything, he actually seems to handle things smoothly. He said he is not frustrated, and his low performance was indeed a pressure, but this still is no problem. He thinks maybe it was the right time for a break, and he does not feel bad about it.

Nico’s Thoughts About His Future

When he was asked if he would be interested in the position of a reserve driver or as an analyst on television, he just gave a one-word answer, which was, “No.”

Nico even stated that he had not signed anything, though he had received calls from some racing teams. However, there is news circulating that Nico contacted Red Bull to hire him, but the team also rejected due to them opting for Young Albon.

Nico Hulkenberg Not Racing in 2020 is disappointing news for many but this doesn’t mean that this is the end of his career. We can deduce it from his following statement,

“I don’t feel I am leaving F1; I might not be on the grid, but if there’s an opportunity, I’m going to be ready.”