By Robert Haile
Nico Hülkenberg has been announced as a Haas driver for the 2023 Formula 1 season alongside current driver Kevin Magnussen, replacing Mick Schumacher.
Seen this season in Aston Martin colours at the beginning when he stood in for Sebastian Vettel, Hülkenberg is a Formula 1 veteran with 181 career starts.
“I’m naturally very pleased to be welcoming Nico Hülkenberg back to a full-time racing role in Formula 1,” commented Guenther Steiner, Haas F1 Team Principal.
“The experience and knowledge base Nico brings to the team is clear to see, with nearly 200 career starts in Formula 1, and a reputation as being a great qualifier and a solid, reliable racer.
“These are attributes, which when you pair them together with Kevin Magnussen’s experience, gives us a very credible and well-seasoned driver line-up which we believe will help push the team onwards up the grid.
“That’s obviously the goal and it was that ambition that has prompted Nico’s return to Formula 1, he shares our vision and can be a key player together with the rest of the team in building on the foundations we’ve laid this year with our return to the points battle.”
He is not only an Formula One driver with 521 career points but also a 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans race winner with Porsche.
“I’m very happy to move into a full-time race seat with Haas F1 Team in 2023,” stated Nico Hülkenberg.
“I feel like I never really left Formula 1. I’m excited to have the opportunity to do what I love the most again and want to thank Gene Haas and Günther Steiner for their trust.
“We have work ahead of us to be able to compete with all the other teams in the midfield, and I cannot wait to join that battle again.”
With this announcement Mick Schumacher’s time in a Formula One car for Haas will come to an end after the final race.
The son of the legendary Michael Schumacher, Mick currently sits sixteenth in the drivers championship on 12 points.
It has been a season of firsts with his maiden points coming at Silverstone with an eighth place before finishing sixth, highest finish, at the Red Bull Ring.
“I would like to thank Mick Schumacher for his contribution to the team over the past couple of years,” stated Guenther Steiner.
“Mick’s pedigree in the junior categories was well known and he has continued to grow and develop as a driver in his time with Haas F1 Team, culminating in his first Formula 1 points-scoring successes earlier this season.
“While choosing to go in separate directions for the future the entire team wishes Mick well for the next steps in his career path and beyond.”
Schumacher took to Social Media to reply saying he is “disappointed about the decision” and “will fight hard to return”.
After making his first start in 2010 for Williams, Hülkenberg will start work for Haas at the end of season Formula 1 test hosted in Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on Tuesday November 22 piloting this season’s VF-22 alongside the team’s test and reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi in the second car.
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