Hulkenberg explains what held him back in his early days in motorsport
F1 News
Things aren't going too well for Nico Hulkenberg at the moment but the German driver has admitted his struggles may go back further than just this season. He believes that being less sociable when he was younger may have held him back.
It looks likely that Hulkenberg will miss out on a Formula 1 drive next season after he was replaced by Esteban Ocon at Renault for 2020. He was expected to secure a seat at Haas but they revealed they would stick with the same lineup.
Williams now looks to be the German's only option but it looks unlikely he'd return to the team he made his F1 debut with.
Speaking to the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper Hulkenberg revealed that being shy when he was younger may have held him back.
“I used to be less social than I am today,” he said.
“I didn’t talk much with people but I think being more open and communicative would have helped.”
Hulkenberg also reflected on his struggles in finding an F1 seat, adding: “Unfortunately, there are many factors and influences that as a driver takes things out of your hands. There’s a lot of politics in Formula 1. But maybe I was too shy as well, and that came across as arrogance.”