Hulkenberg on comeback: 'Knew beforehand it was going to be hard work'

Nico Hulkenberg has a permanent seat in Formula 1 again this year. With brief substitutions during the corona pandemic, the German driver secured a seat at Haas, where he replaced compatriot Mick Schumacher. Although race results have been somewhat disappointing, the Hulk does not regret his choice of the US team for a moment.

'We knew we had to work hard'

Hulkenberg's results in qualifying, in particular, stand out in 2023. With Haas, he has already managed to reach Q3 six times. In the races, however, the German has only scored nine points. Speaking to Motorsport, Hulkenberg says that choosing Haas would not automatically bring only good days for him: "When we signed, and I started here, I knew it was not just going to be sunny days. There's also going to be tough days and work ahead of us."

Hulkenberg's Sundays have been disappointing so far. After a good starting position, the Haas car often falls through the field quickly. Hulkenberg says this sometimes frustrates him when behind the wheel: "Of course, in that moment on Sundays, or during the race and right after, it is a bit frustrating, and it is a bit disappointing. Not just for me but for the whole team, because we're all in it. And you have a great Saturday, and obviously, you feel hyped. Expectations, especially from the outside, go up." Hulkenberg is honest with his team, stating that he has known for a few months that the problems during the race are too big and that this lowers expectations within the team a bit.

Fun outweighs race-pace problems for Hulkenberg

Despite the problems with Haas' race pace, Hulkenberg is enjoying his comeback on the grid, with the German saying that he still has fun racing: "But it still gives me pleasure. I still enjoy being back a lot, and all the positives outweigh the problems on Sundays."