Hulkenberg makes first metres for Aston Martin: 'Very different from last year'

Nico Hulkenberg did not manage to secure a seat in Formula 1 this year, but behind the scenes, the German is still busy. During the first Grand Prix weekend, he dived into the simulator.

Hulkenberg left Formula 1 at the end of 2019 after he was pushed aside for Esteban Ocon at Renault. The German did fill in for Sergio Perez (2x) and Lance Stroll (1x) for three more races in 2020, as both were affected by the coronavirus. The substitutions made a big impression.

For Racing Point, Hulkenberg scored points for the team in two races (he didn't start the other race due to a problem), and even got to start from P3 for the second race at Silverstone. This made him an option to replace Alexander Albon at Red Bull Racing, but Sergio Perez was eventually chosen.

In 2021 Hulkenberg will be back on the sidelines, but that shouldn't spoil the fun. With his job as a reporter for ServusTV and his role as a reserve driver for Mercedes and Aston Martin, Hulkenberg is still close to Formula 1. In fact, last week he stepped into the simulator to put the Mercedes and Aston Martin car through its paces.

''You get a feeling for how you have to drive the car. That first feeling is very important. Aston Martin's car is very different from last year's car but once on the track it really counts. On track, the feeling is always different and it's a learning process you have to go through quickly'', Hulkenberg told Motorsport-total.com.