Nico Hulkenberg put into ‘top team’ conversation as Haas frustrations grow

Nico Hulkenberg is good enough to fight for wins and podiums should he be put into a “top team” according to fellow German Timo Glock.

Hulkenberg has surprised everyone with the form he made since returning to the sport with many predicting that established driver Kevin Magnussen would have a better time of it than a driver coming off the sidelines full time for the first time since 2019.

But with three races to go, it is Hulkenberg who leads the way having scored 75% of the team’s points this year.

Nico Hulkenberg would impress in a ‘top team’ believes Timo Glock

Hulkenberg’s return to form has seen him linked with a number of other outfits, most notably Audi, and Glock believes that if the Haas driver were given a chance to shine at a “top team” he could compete for wins and podiums.

“Nico Hulkenberg drove a great 200th race,” Glock wrote in his Sky Germany column. “He fought like a lion and tried everything to get this last point. Unfortunately the package is not available.

“He did everything right in terms of driving. He had to go a few percent over the limit. But the car then puts too much strain on the tires. In the end, his opponents gained the upper hand. He actually does everything right, but just doesn’t have the material to translate it into results.

“Looking ahead to next year, it’s up to Haas whether they provide Hülkenberg with a better car than this year – especially in the race. We don’t need to discuss his performance in qualifying. It’s outstanding.

“Of course, such performances always bring him into the conversation with top teams. If Hülkenberg were to drive in a top team, he is also someone who can fight for the podium and for victories.”

Hulkenberg’s performance has not gone unnoticed within the Haas setup either with team boss Guenther Steiner commenting on how quickly the 36-year-old had got back up to speed.

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“I’ve been pretty, pretty impressed,” Steiner said in August. “We took him for one reason, because we know we can drive a race car. The doubt was after three years as not a full-time driver, how long does it take him to catch up?

“It didn’t take him any time because he was there from day one, which is very good. It’s actually very impressive, but also as a human being, he tries to help the team and that’s what we wanted with the experience, that’s what I always said.

“He was six or seven times in Q3 out of [the first] 11 races – that isn’t too shabby, you know? And he’s got nine points, so in the race he’s pretty good.

“It’s the car that’s not good enough, so we need to work on the car – I don’t think we’ve got a driver problem. The team is very happy with Nico, personally as well.”

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