Hulkenberg on comeback: 'In 2021, watching became more difficult'

After spending four years on the sidelines, filling in here and there for various Formula 1 teams (Racing Point and Aston Martin), Nico Hulkenberg made his return to motorsport's premier class in Bahrain. This year, he is defending a different colour than in previous years. Namely, he will drive in the black-white-red colour for Haas F1 team in 2023

Comeback in Formula 1

The German immediately put his Haas VF-23 in fifth place during qualifying in Bahrain, ahead of Kevin Magnussen. He therefore feeled good about his comeback “Right at the beginning, in 2020, it was kind of… I wanted some time away, I needed some time away, so at that point I was pretty relaxed. Then suddenly, in 2021, there were weeks when it was harder to stand on the sidelines and watch drivers go out of the garage."

"In 2022, so let's say about 12 months ago, 10 months ago, that feeling of wanting to be in the racing seat again came back very strongly. Then I had a clear intention, a clear plan that I wanted to pursue the possibility of acquiring a permanent seat again."

Drive To Survive

The return of the rider from Emmerik also means that he will be followed again from this season and featured in the Netflix documentary Drive To Survive. He is therefore positive about the Netflix series. “I think it’s a very entertaining series, no doubt. It’s been super good and beneficial for F1, to grow the awareness around the planet, to gain new followers – young followers, too. It’s fun to watch."

At least it won't be up to his boss Guenther Steiner. The eccentric team boss has a prominent role in the documentary, as does Max Verstappen, who can be seen again in season five of the documentary to talk about his time at Red Bull Racing in Formula 1.

For the past two years, Max Verstappen did not appear in Drive To Survive because he did not find the series' coverage truthful. So this year he is participating after having a good conversation with the series' creators.