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Nico Hulkenberg insists it doesn't feel like the end

Nico Hulkenberg insists "it doesn't feel like the end"

16-12-2019 13:02

Nico Hulkenberg competed in his final Formula 1 race for Renault in Abu Dhabi. The German has been left without a drive for the 2020 F1 season having been ousted in favour of youngster Esteban Ocon. Hulkenberg insists it "doesn't feel like the end".

Hulkenberg, 32, hasn't secured anything yet for the upcoming season. Discussing his future plans with the official Formula 1 website, Hulkenberg believes he still has plenty of mileage left in him, but he's unsure on where that mileage will be spent. 

“It doesn’t feel like a retirement for me. Yes, I won’t be on the grid next year, but it doesn’t feel like the end. 2020 holds a lot more spare time for me, less travelling. Part of me is excited about that, closing this chapter of my life, it’s going to be a different schedule and rhythm next year, not having to go through the pre-season routine, winter testing, going to Australia. It’s going to be different," Hulkenberg explains. 

“Part of me looks forward to that different life with more freedom. You do what you want when you want. I want to take a good couple of months to myself to disconnect, take a step back, see where my interests take me, where the fire is, and then see if there are possibilities somewhere out there. It is exciting, that uncertainty, but I feel maybe the break will do me good.”