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Nico Hulkenberg made the phone call to Haas boss Guenther Steiner that led to his 2023 Formula 1 return.
On Thursday, Hulkenberg was announced as the American-registered team’s second driver alongside Kevin Magnussen for next season.
It marks a full-time return to the grid after sitting out the last three campaigns.
In that time he’s made a number of cameos, most recently for Sebastian Vettel in the opening two rounds of the 2022 season.
“It’s still the hunger to race, the fire to be in Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport,” he said of the reason he wanted to return.
“It’s a pretty cool environment, and it’s what I love doing, and probably what I’m best at.”
Now 35, Hulkenberg admitted he’d never given up on a return to the Formula 1 grid, though did enjoy his time away.
“I have to say, obviously ’19 I was out and I was happy that I had some distance, and some breather from it,” he explained.
“2021, nothing much happened, and even earlier, beginning of this year, I wasn’t stressing it, thinking about it too much.
“But then, coming towards summer, it somehow grew in me again, you know, when I came [and] visited races, saw the action and the excitement and the desire to come back.
“I wasn’t too stressed about it,” he added.
“I was also enjoying the life out of the driving seat.
“It’s much more relaxed, there’s other benefits, but then it kind of crept back, the desire to go back on the grid, to go racing, to kick arse, to be in the driving seat.”
Discussions with Steiner followed over the European summer, and while there were conversations elsewhere in the paddock, according to Hulkenberg, “all roads more or less lead to here.”
At Haas, he replaced Mick Schumacher, who lost his seat after two seasons with the team.
Steiner has said that he opted for Hulkenberg over Schumacher for 2023 because of the experience the former offers, and the value that has to the team in its current position.
“That’s just how F1 is and, ultimately, the driver, when he’s racing, he has to convince the team with performance,” Haas’s newest signing noted.
“If that’s not the case, the team is going to change. Same with engineers, with all personnel.”
Having been released by Aston Martin, Hulkenberg began work with Haas on Monday, ahead of Formula 1 post-season testing on Tuesday.
“I had a taste of these cars, beginning of the year, two races that I did, so it’s not totally white page,” Hulkenberg reasoned.
“But then this is, again, different car, different teams, so naturally, we see that every time when a driver changes team, there’s like getting to know [you] periods, which until you reach your real optimum – for sure a couple of race weekends that will take.
“But the sooner we start, the better, and that’s why tomorrow it’s very positive and valuable for me.
“That feeling, being comfortable, you can’t force it,” he added when asked by Speedcafe.com about the importance of Tuesday’s test.
“It’s a feeling that you have to get to, to work for, and that you can only achieve and get when you’re in the car and when you’re actually working.
“Yeah, the testing time is limited for everyone.
“Obviously, it’s going to be a bit harder for guys that come into a new team or unknown car, but that’s all part of the challenge.
“We’ve all been there and done that, so we just have to work with it and learn fast.”
