Hulkenberg: British GP for Racing Point ‘a shock to the system’

In an interview Nico Hulkenberg, who is without a seat in Formula 1 this season, the German looked back on his unplanned substitution of Perez at Racing Point last season and how the unexpected return to a racing car was received by his body. 

Hulkenberg illustrates his thinking at the time he was approached by Racing Point, asking if he would replace Sergio Perez, infected with the coronavirus, at the British Grand Prix. Speaking to GQ, Hulkenberg says: “At first, a lot of people said that I absolutely had to do this - but I also pointed out straight away that it was not that risk-free.

“What do I have to lose? If I can't do it, I'll be burned and my comeback chances for 2021 are worse. But: if you don't dare, you can't win anything. There wasn't much time to think about it anyway. So I said: come on, do it, trust yourself and your talent.”

Hulkenberg continued: “In addition, the Racing Point was known to be a good car last year. At the end of the day, I'm a thoroughbred racer, that's my passion and my craft. Confidence in one's own abilities was the decisive factor in the weighing up.”

Shock to the system

Hulkenberg also states that the unexpected return to a race car, without too much prior training, was quite physically demanding. "I already had some practice time before qualifying and the race. That helped, of course, even if the first few laps were pretty tough. But then I grooved myself back in relatively quickly and developed a feeling for the car. You shouldn't think too much and doubt, just do it. Anyway, I'm a guy who likes unorthodox challenges and likes to make the impossible possible," said Hulkenberg.