Hulkenberg back at Williams in 2022: 'There has been talk of that'

Nico Hulkenberg is increasingly being linked with a return to Williams in Formula 1. The German made his debut in the sport for this team, and now hopes to make his return here.

At the end of 2019, it became clear that Hulkenberg would lose his place in Formula 1. There was no place for 'The Hulk' at Renault with the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo, and other teams weren't keen on using Hulkenberg's services either. Nico still jumped into an F1 car three times in 2020, replacing Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll at Racing Point.

In those appearances Hulkenberg impressed so much that he was put in the spotlight again. He was also named as a candidate for the second seat at Red Bull Racing, but it went to Sergio Perez, meaning Hulkenberg missed out on another year. However, the man who married this year and is expecting his wife's first child is still aiming for a comeback.

Yet Hulkenberg is also realistic: "If my return to Formula 1 this year does not succeed, then the Formula 1 chapter is probably over", the German once said. However, that is not yet the case as Williams want to choose drivers with talent in 2022, not necessarily a bag of money, and then Hulkenberg suddenly comes back into the picture.

Speaking to AvD Motor and Sport Magazine, Jost Capito didn't deny talks with Hulkenberg. "When I say that I have spoken to all the drivers without a contract, but who want a contract, I don't need to mention all the names," the Williams team boss revealed according to Speedweek.com.

However, it will all be a matter of waiting to see what Mercedes do. They will first determine whether George Russell or Valtteri Bottas gets the spot next to Lewis Hamilton. Once that is known, the ball can start rolling and Silly Season can really begin.