Nico Hulkenberg made his full comeback in 2023 with Haas. The Kannapolis-based team has been struggling to bring in good points for years. However, this year, the team is undoubtedly off to a better start but the question is whether it will be sufficient to keep hold of Hulkenberg for 2025. Ralf Schumacher believes that it’s time for the German driver to move on to better opportunities.
While talking to Sky, Schumacher mentioned that the owner of the American team has other plans. Between the years 2020 and 2022, Hulkenberg has driven five times for Aston Martin (previously known as Racing Points) as a substitute driver, before making his official comeback with Haas.
The Ayao Komatsu-led team might be off to a better start this season, but Schumacher believes it’s not a good enough reason for Hulkenberg to stay.
No, certainly not. Haas is certainly a great team and everything will get better there, but the structure isn't there. Towards the future and doesn't look towards the future either. Ralf Schumacher told: Skysports
It is no secret that Nico Hulkenberg is dissatisfied with the team’s performance. The evident interest from Audi may serve as a spur for the German driver. No matter how much Haas improves, there are unavoidable limitations, and this may force Hulkenberg to ultimately leave the team at the end of this year.
Nico Hulkenberg is happy with the team’s progress
While Ralf Schumacher has urged Hulkenberg to move away from Haas at the end of this year, the latter has finished twice in points. He genuinely feels that the American team is making progress in the right direction.
Haas is currently seventh in the 2024 Constructors Championship.
I rate the leap we have made since the start of the season very positively and very well. We have a completely different starting point than last year. Last year in the race it was always a one-way street backwards, i.e. in the wrong direction. Now we've seen on four different routes that we can keep up. I'm happy and eager for more. Nico Hulkenberg via Sky Sports
Haas’s VF-24 has performed better than anyone expected this year. Apart from a solid one-lap pace, the outfit has also managed to improve its overall race pace. This is one of the main reasons why Nico Hulkenberg is optimistic going ahead into the season.
More must-reads: