New opportunities for Hulkenberg: 'I think this is the best I can do'

It is the second season that Nico Hulkenberg is without a permanent seat in Formula 1. Last season he replaced Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll and this year he is reserve driver for Mercedes and Aston Martin. But the German wants more.

In the hunt for a seat

For a long time Hulkenberg was mentioned as a possible teammate for Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, but that spot eventually went to Perez. The German was unable to secure another seat. From a spot as a reserve driver, Hulkenberg is now waiting for another chance to return to the grid as a regular before 2022.

"For me, it was clear that I wanted to stay in Formula 1 to also keep the chance of a permanent cockpit for 2022," Hulkenberg told Speedweek.com about his reserve role at Mercedes and Aston Martin. "At both teams I can definitely learn something new and broaden my horizons."

Door that opens

So the driver from Emmerich remains closely involved in Formula 1, although not in the place he really wants. "I think the best thing I can do is to stay tuned and be right there when a door opens," he said. For now, then, Hulkenberg is not targeting other racing classes. "That would be contractually possible, but has not been planned so far."

The fact that Hulkenberg is currently not getting around to racing does not mean he is taking it easy. "Of course I always have to make sure I'm in good physical condition. It may be that sometimes the motivation is a bit harder to find than it used to be, but my weight is still in the green zone, of course."