Günther Steiner expects Nico Hülkenberg to return in 2023
Haas will field Nico Hülkenberg alongside Kevin Magnussen in 2023. The German driver will be making his return to the sport after 3 seasons without a regular seat. Günther Steiner has high expectations of his new recruit's return to Formula 1.
Since leaving Renault after the 2019 season, Nico Hülkenberg hadn’t found a full-time seat in Formula 1. However, he was able to drive for Racing Point and later Aston Martin in a few Grand Prix races from 2020 to 2022. He proved to be competitive during these occasional replacements, but it remains uncertain if he will be able to be consistently fast over an entire season. His new boss, Günther Steiner, is expecting a successful comeback from Hülkenberg at Haas.
A return under pressure
Haas parted ways with Mick Schumacher at the end of the 2022 season. A difficult but logical choice for the American team that was looking for an experienced driver who would be able to make them progress faster. These three seasons without a seat for the German driver have raised doubts about Haas’ choice and are one of the main concerns regarding his performances in 2023.
« It was our main concern when we thought about it. It has been three years since he has not raced full-time, but he did two races this year, he did at least one Pirelli test this year, he can drive the car here in Abu Dhabi. It’s a small worry, but at some point, we cannot find the definitive answer if we don’t try. There is a risk, no matter what we do, and that’s part of it. »
A performance to match
Fernando Alonso recently proved that it is possible to perform well in Formula 1 after several seasons outside of the top discipline, despite being older. The Spanish driver achieved excellent results in the past two seasons with Alpine, and even stood on the podium in Qatar in 2021. This is an example that reassures Günther Steiner, who hopes that Hülkenberg will have just as successful of a comeback as the two-time Spanish world champion.
« Fernando is a very good example, many people have said he wasn’t capable of it, and he remains one of the best. We can say whatever we want, the guy is over 40 years old, he left for two years, he came back and he remains one of the best! Why couldn’t Nico do the same? As I said jokingly, Nico is younger than him. I think he is capable of it. We will see next year if that’s the case. »
