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Nico Hulkenberg reflects on the end of F1 and new beginnings

14.12.2019

For the first time in a decade, Nico Hulkenberg will not be on the Formula 1 grid when the 2020 season kicks off in Melbourne next March.

His final race in the top flight was at the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, bringing the curtain down on a once-promising career that did not deliver on expectations for the well-liked and respected driver.

In 177 Grand Prix starts he has one pole position to his name but not a single podium to show since he made his debut at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix. He holds the unpleasant F1 record for the most starts by a driver without a podium finish, a 'record' he owned when he DNFed in the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix, his 129th grand prix start.

It would be  fair to say in retrospect that the German never had a crack with a top-three team and nor did he have a race-winning car during his time with Williams, Force India and Renault being his last F1 team.

During an interview with F1.com, Nico looked back on his career, “I’m not the guy who says ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda’ because it has gone.

"It happened, it’s the way it is. You have to learn from it. At some point, you need to close that chapter, move on and try to do better. Of course, there are situations, if I were to relive them, which I would do differently. But overall, I’m happy. I’m not bitter.

“I would have loved to have a couple of podiums or victories to my name. But I was never fortunate enough to be in a top car. There were certainly moments to get podiums, but unfortunately, there was always a circumstance that prevented it.”

Asked if the 'no-podium-record' frustrated him, the 32-year-old replied, “Yes and no, but more no because I know why it didn’t happen. I would like to change the fact I have that record to my name, but at least I have one record, whether I want it or not. I can live with it.”

In home soil earlier this year, his last German Grand Prix, was arguably the cruellest of all as he looked set for a podium during a chaotic race at Hockenheim, but he crunched his Renault into the barriers with the finish line in sight. The story of his career summed up on that bleak Sunday afternoon.

He recalled, “For weeks, I was thinking about it, digesting it. It was hard for me to accept how that race finished, with that incident but at one point you have to wake up and be realistic: it’s gone and you have to move on. You have to find a way through.”

Ahead of the 2019 season Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul stoked up expectations confidently targeting podiums before his team delivered another underwhelming package despite the addition of known race-winner Daniel Ricciardo to the ranks.

Nico explained, “We tried hard, we made good improvements early on and some big gains, especially in 2017. After that, it was a bit trickier. The progress, especially this year 2019, has been missing a bit. It’s been a tough year, but that’s the challenge of F1.

"All in all, I think I’ve been helpful with the team, I’ve always tried hard, I’ve certainly collected a couple of points, tried to push the team on and to do my bit well.

"Personally, it’s been a challenging year, it’s been up and down. It was hard to get a good momentum going this season. We had signs of really good results, but then the next one was down again.

"There were also quite a lot of technical hiccups which were quite costly, so it’s difficult to groove yourself in, to find the right balance, and to always hit the sweetspot.

“I don’t feel 100 percent happy with everything I have produced this year. Certainly, I’ve done a couple of mistakes on my side and not always found the performance that I wanted. But that’s why F1 is so tricky and challenging.”

When Renault confirmed Esteban Ocon would replace Hulkenberg, there were not many options left for him despite links to Red Bull and Williams. The latter, who gave him his debut a decade ago, he simply would not countenance a return to in their current state.

In the game of Silly Season musical chairs, Nico was the one left standing but, despite the life-altering magnitude of the yellow axe, he took it on the chin,

“It doesn’t feel like retirement for me,” he insisted. “Yes, I won’t be on the grid next year, but it doesn’t feel like the end.

“2020 holds a lot more spare time for me, less travelling. Part of me is excited about that, closing this chapter of my life, it’s going to be a different schedule and rhythm next year, not having to go through the pre-season routine, winter testing, going to Australia. It’s going to be different.

“Part of me looks forward to that different life with more freedom. You do what you want when you want. I want to take a good couple of months to myself to disconnect, take a step back, see where my interests take me, where the fire is, and then see if there are possibilities somewhere out there. It is exciting, that uncertainty, but I feel maybe the break will do me good.”

“I started to chase the dream of F1 when I was seven years old and if someone told me back then you’ll have a 10-year career, I would have said you were crazy but I would have taken it. It’s good, I’m pleased. I’m okay with it. I’ve been pretty reliable and consistent in midfield teams. I don’t need to hide," added Hulkenberg.

Indeed it would be fair to say that Hulkenberg in any other series would be a drawcard. Perhaps when he recovers from his F1 hangover he will pop up in Indycars, WEC or wherever because there is still a great deal of driving in him. (Report by Roy Franco; Photo by Renault)

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