What does it take for a driver to pursue a long career in Formula 1? Nico Hülkenberg certainly knows the answer. According to the German driver, being able to adapt to the car is essential. Hülkenberg sees similarities in this area between himself and Max Verstappen.
Nico Hülkenberg made his debut in Formula 1 in 2010, and has been around for a while. The German has been waiting for a podium finish for fifteen years, but proved last season that he is only getting faster. This is in contrast to, for example, Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo, Grand Prix winners who could not cope with the current generation of cars. However, Hülkenberg does not think that the current car suits him better than his two (former) colleagues.
“I think it always has more to do with how you feel as a driver, what your self-confidence is,” the German driver tells Motorsport-Total. “In the end, it’s about the feeling you do or don’t have in the car and if you’re missing one percent, then there’s immediately a problem. Then there’s a lack of lap time and you can see that on the stopwatch.
Adaptability
Hülkenberg, however, notes that like Max Verstappen, he is very good at adapting to the car. “There are also examples like Max, who performs under all conditions regardless of the generation of the car. I felt the same,” continues the upcoming Sauber driver. “Of course, I’ve had my ups and downs, I didn’t do so well at Renault. But that was due to other circumstances, as I said, it was more a matter of feeling and where you stand.”
According to the former Haas driver, the ability to adapt is essential for a driver to aspire to a long career in the premier class. “Otherwise, if you’re only good in one car and you don’t develop, you don’t adapt, then you would have a relatively short lifespan here in Formula 1,” concludes Hülkenberg.
