Nico Hulkenberg has stated that if he does not get a seat for next season, the Formula 1 chapter of his career will be officially closed.
Despite being one of the best midfield performances during his career, the German lost his seat at the end of the 2019 season, with Renault replacing him with Esteban Ocon.
While he did end up appearing in three races in 2020 owing to both Racing Point drivers missing rounds after testing positive for COVID-19, he was unable to find a regular team to drive for in 2021.
He still expects to do so for next season, but he knows that top teams are out of the question, and he is giving up on his F1 career if no offers come in.
“I think I know how it will go,” he told Bild.
“Everyone can calculate that for themselves and I have no illusions. The doors of the top teams are closed for me. I have to be that realistic.
“If it doesn’t happen now, the Formula 1 chapter is closed for me.”
He has been linked with some lower-level positions, however, and is apparently on Williams’ shortlist if George Russell is lost.
However, it appears like he will have plenty of competition if he wants that drive, with Valtteri Bottas, Daniil Kvyat, and Guanyu Zhou also linked with the British team.
Nonetheless, he is optimistic about his chances and, whatever happens, he believes he will have no regrets about how things have gone for him in F1 after giving it a lot of thought over the last year.
“I see it as a new opportunity,” he said.
“I’ve had enough time now to think about everything. Of course, I made a few mistakes, maybe my career would have turned out differently.
“But I don’t regret anything.”
According to reports, Alpine has already reached Williams to see if they would be interested in giving Zhou, their junior driver, a spot, while Kvyat is reportedly on the Williams shortlist with Hulkenberg. Bottas, on the other hand, appears to be more likely to end up at Alfa Romeo after making contact with them.
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