Hülkenberg does not see himself as the leader at Sauber
For the first time in his career, Nico Hülkenberg is considered the most experienced driver within his team. However, the main person concerned denies being the number one driver at Sauber, the team he joined for the 2013 season.
In 2013, Nico Hülkenberg will discover a new team, his third in four years of being in Formula 1. His signing with Sauber-Ferrari alongside rookie Esteban Gutiérrez will bring fresh blood to the Swiss team with two new drivers.
However, even though he is the more experienced of the two, Hülkenberg does not consider himself the team leader: “The fact that people consider me the team leader doesn’t change much. At Sauber, both drivers are treated the same way. We will work hard with Esteban to bring the team to the top,” he stated on the official Formula 1 website.
The fact that the Swiss team is starting the new season with two new drivers doesn’t worry him much: « I don’t see any disadvantage in that, to be honest. Indeed, I am new to the team, but not to Formula 1, and Esteban has gained experience as a test driver with Sauber, so he’s not new to them. I would say there’s no problem, but rather an opportunity to build good relationships. »
The German also reflects on his tendency to frequently change teams since joining the discipline: « It has not always been my choice. Except this time with Sauber. At the end of 2012, I was more or less forced to change. In this situation, you have to learn to work with different people. Some procedures within the teams are similar, however, there are differences in the details that you must understand. You could say that I am now in a new phase of this learning process. The most challenging part at the beginning is remembering all the new names; otherwise, there are no major difficulties in being part of a new team. It’s a process that takes a little time, but it’s very valuable time that can pay off during the season. »
