ABU DHABI: Guenther Steiner, the team principal of the Haas F1 team, believes that Nico Hulkenberg will not require a re-acclimatization period in 2023.
After securing a comeback with Haas as a replacement for Mick Schumacher, Hulkenberg will compete full-time in F1 in the 2023 season.
Since the end of 2019, Hulkenberg has not had a full-time drive in F1. However, he has driven in five Grands Prix in the three seasons since, starting with Racing Point in 2020 as a replacement for the ill Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll and two season-opening races at Aston Martin in 2022 as a replacement for Sebastian Vettel.
Despite his absence in the racing arena for three years, the team principal for his new team, Guenther Steiner, is ambitious about his recruit.
Guenther Steiner accepts the veteran driver will dig up some authentic confidence in a matter of moments as he comes up to speed with life as a full-time driver on the F1 grid.
Hulkenberg jumped into Mick Schumacher’s vacant car for the one-day Pirelli tyre testing, where he completed the day admitting to feeling some “human degradation” due to the physical demands of F1.
The Pirelli tyre test allowed him to make his Haas debut at the post-season test.
After securing his F1 return with the American-based team, it was a surprise that Hulkenberg would be the ideal candidate for Haas.
Guenther Steiner explained that Hulkenberg’s skills as an experienced racer ultimately prevailed over Schumacher.
Hulkenberg, who returns to F1 at age 35, has not yet finished on the podium; he holds the undesirable record for the most races in which he has not finished on the podium.
While addressing the media at the Abu Dhabi GP, Guenther Steiner flayed any concerns regarding Hulkenberg’s fitness and was upbeat about his team’s chances in the upcoming season.
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