F1 News
Will Magnussen and Hulkenberg be teammates? The Hulk is an option'
- GPblog.com
Haas has its drivers all figured out for 2023. Mick Schumacher could be forced to leave the American team and Nico Hulkenberg is now even mentioned as a possible successor.
Options for Haas
This is an important period for Haas. As seventh in the constructors' standings, a seat with the Americans is very interesting for many drivers. Kevin Magnussen has a longer contract with the team, but the ties with Schumacher will probably be broken at the end of this season. Mick has to look for a new team and Haas for a new driver.
A new name that has entered the market is Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian is free to go where he wants at the end of 2022 now that his contract for 2023 has been bought out by McLaren. Ricciardo is a fan of America, and could be considered a figurehead for Haas and with eight wins also has a fine CV. However, the question is whether it is still on the cards after two lesser years at McLaren.
The other option is Antonio Giovinazzi. Although Guenther Steiner insists it's a favour to Ferrari to let the Italian get used to the new generation of F1 cars, it's still remarkable that the former Alfa Romeo driver has been brought in twice for a first free practice session (in Italy and America) by Haas. It gives the Italian another chance to put himself in the spotlight.
Return of Hulkenberg
In addition to these two favourites, there is, according to The Race another driver on Steiner's shortlist: Nico Hulkenberg. The German has been on the sidelines for the third season in a row, but proved once again how competitive he still is with his appearance at Aston Martin at the start of 2022. In the first qualifying session in Bahrain, he was faster than Lance Stroll, while the German had hardly any preparation time.
Should Hulkenberg (35 years old) return to F1, he will be team-mate with his 'big friend'. Magnussen and Hulkenberg have had a hefty rivalry in the past, which culminated in Hulkenberg saying that Magnussen was once again the least sporting driver on the grid. Magnussen then responded with the unmistakable 'suck my balls honey'.
Steiner knows his available seat is more popular than in recent years, but is in no hurry. ''We are in no hurry to make a decision. We have to make a choice that is best for the team. Do we take a risky choice or do we go for the safe option? Someone with high peaks or someone who can help us develop,'' Steiner said to the same medium.