Current Nico Hülkenberg

Never have I known so many people rate a test driver as a future world champion so I thought I'd start a thread for people to pass there opinions on young Nico.

Has an incredible record in other Formula's - won A1 Go in 06, won F3 euro masters in 08, won GP2 in 09 and then came into F1. There was a lot of hype around Mr Hulkenberg in arriving in F1 as he was seen as the next 'Lewis Hamilton' but in all honest in the car he was driving he was never going to be able to match what Lewis did as a rookie the question remains though did he do enough? He scored 25 points to his experienced team-mate Rubens Barrichello's 47 which doesn't look good - however is it unfair to judge a rookie against the most experienced F1 driver in history? Especially a driver who was having a resurgent after being a world championship contender the season before.

To be fair to Hulkenberg he got better as the season went on and it was clear he was getting to grips with F1 - the icing on the cake of course was the brilliant pole he scored in the wet in Brazil. Although tactical he was advised as when to go and on what tyres he still had to produce the time and being on pole by over a second is pretty impressive. I think if Williams could have afforded to keep him on they would have done but needs must when the bank manager drives and poor old Nico was shown the door.

Currently testing with Force India and you have to think that right now he's breathing down Sutil's neck for the race seat. I really hope they take a gamble on him earlier than later as want to see how he fares against Di Resta - I actually think that might be the making of both of them. Currently Di Resta is being praised and lined up for the Merc drive at the moment but you have to say if Hulkenberg comes in and beats him surely Merc would take the Nico option?

Is he as good as he's hyped or does having Will Weber as you manager help you become hyped up? Interestingly back in 2009, when he was being considered for replacing Luca Badoer at Ferrari, Weber stated that Hulkenberg would not take the seat now but he would sign for Ferrari in 3 years time - that makes 2012 - next season!

As mentioned on another thread there have been 2 world champions who have had a season of F1 and then dropped out to take a test driver role for another year - Mika Hakkinen and Fernando Alonso - will Nico make it a hattrick?
 
I think he is due a shot now with Force India, Sutil's wow factor has fizzled of dramatically so lets see what Hulkenburg can do in a FI, sadly I don't see much improvement from Williams to FI so I expect some iffy performances.

Definately someone to have in F1 though.
 
Hulkenberg is a talented driver, he would be just as quick as any driver in one of the top teams, his time would come when the two pensioners currently driving in F1 decides to retire.
 
He was never going to have a Hamilton season because of the testing ban (and he was in a Williams!). He has all the talent there I just feel the expectations put on him, and the expectations he had of himself were too much hence the many chicane cuts/poor defensive moves... but as a Hulkenberg fan I expected this and am bitterly disappointed he isn't driving this year as he damn well should be.

Especially after I paid £2.99 for his iphone app.
 
One of my main reasons for falling out of love with Williams was the number of times they got rid of good drivers. Usually, there was money involved and SFW's tightness is legendary, but there is an old saying that to lose one world champion could be unfortunate, to lose two might be carelessness, but to lose Jones, Keke Rosberg, Piquet, Mansell, Prost and Button might be complete stupidity. To lose Adrian Newey as well...
 
One of my main reasons for falling out of love with Williams was the number of times they got rid of good drivers. Usually, there was money involved and SFW's tightness is legendary, but there is an old saying that to lose one world champion could be unfortunate, to lose two might be carelessness, but to lose Jones, Keke Rosberg, Piquet, Mansell, Prost and Button might be complete stupidity. To lose Adrian Newey as well...
Getting back on topic (sorry!) Hulk is in good company and I would like to see what he can do in Sutil's place. I thought Adrian was quite good, but di Resta has put paid to that myth
 
One of my main reasons for falling out of love with Williams was the number of times they got rid of good drivers. Usually, there was money involved and SFW's tightness is legendary, but there is an old saying that to lose one world champion could be unfortunate, to lose two might be carelessness, but to lose Jones, Keke Rosberg, Piquet, Mansell, Prost and Button might be complete stupidity. To lose Adrian Newey as well...

I agree with your post, however, you omitted another driver who won the WDC and was immediately dumped, That was D. Hill.

That was a cardinal sin for a British team, dumping two British world champions immediately after they won their WDC.
 
I agree with your post, however, you omitted another driver who won the WDC and was immediately dumped, That was D. Hill.

That was a cardinal sin for a British team, dumping two British world champions immediately after they won their WDC.
Oops! So many of them, so easily done...!
 
He could have Rosbergs seat if he moves to a bigger team like Ferrari. Schumi would be a great mentor for him.

I expect Di Resta to be next in line for a Mercedes seat. I can see Hulkenberg moving to Mercedes in the future but I expect they want him to have some more experience. After all, he hasn't done any racing at all this year, has he? I think he only test drives for FI this year.
I guess if Sutil doesn't get his form back he'll be fired, and Hülkenberg will be given a seat alongside Di Resta.
 
I think this guy is a great talent, I was very annoyed by Williams when they said they were "sure" that he was going to stay, yet dumped him for a pay driver...but they annoy me with their decisions all the time recently so...:whistle:

He was quite unlucky in some races, most notably in this GP coming up where he was running very high in the points then his car burnt up and he had to retire. His second half of the season he made his name for me, not just by the pole position but he was out-racing and out-qualifying Barrichello on consistent basis.

I don't see a way he can get back into F1 apart from Force India next year, I fear he might fall into the category of the promising talent but a victim of banned in-season testing...
 
I expect Di Resta to be next in line for a Mercedes seat. I can see Hulkenberg moving to Mercedes in the future but I expect they want him to have some more experience. After all, he hasn't done any racing at all this year, has he? I think he only test drives for FI this year.
I guess if Sutil doesn't get his form back he'll be fired, and Hülkenberg will be given a seat alongside Di Resta.

See I think if Hulkenberg gets in that Force India seat before the end of the season I think Merc would rather take him, especially with the Will Weber connection and if I was Paul Di Resta I'd be working overtime within the team to make sure he doesn't get in. Right now Di Resta is being talked up because he's looking better than Sutil - If Hulkenberg gets in the seat and starts beating Di Resta then the whole thing switches round
 
http://cliptheapex.com/threads/robert-kubica.3036/page-2#post-59804

I've referred to Nico in my post on Kubica's thread so won't repeat that here. I'll just add that given the right seat and team environment he's got a great chance of becoming a WDC. I think the days when someone could do a Schumacher are long gone. Multiple championships are going to be very difficult to come by for any of the top flight drivers we have right now. Their levels of fitness, concentration and ability seem light years from just a decade ago. I've watched motor racing for over forty years and honestly the competition right now is the strongest and closest I've ever seen. Nico is definately one of the hottest prospects in the hottest age of F1.
 
See I think if Hulkenberg gets in that Force India seat before the end of the season I think Merc would rather take him, especially with the Will Weber connection and if I was Paul Di Resta I'd be working overtime within the team to make sure he doesn't get in. Right now Di Resta is being talked up because he's looking better than Sutil - If Hulkenberg gets in the seat and starts beating Di Resta then the whole thing switches round

True, and I expect Di Resta to be fully aware of that. However, it's very hard to guess who will end up where next season - I know I want Hülkenberg to have a seat though! However I don't expect Schumacher to retire and I don't expect Rosberg to move either, unless a true top team has a vacant seat, so if Hülkenberg gets a seat I expect it to be at FI.

I could be wrong though, we'll see.
 
Isn't Hulkenberg meant to run in practice sessions? So far I have only seen him in one might be two can't be sure, but di Resta had one nearly every grand prix weekend.
 
I remember seeing him in one definitely...

Force India are bit of a strange position aren't they? Sutil seems to have "under-performed" yet he is out scoring di Resta, yet di Resta has put in much better performances between the two, they can't really replace Sutil right now can they?
 
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