765 replies to this topic

[Seanspeed]

Maybe with the rumoured new sponsor, they do not need Perez' Bucks anymore?

I don't think McLaren ever needed Perez' money.

[HP]

Anyway Hulkenberg, to me its looking like he will be going to Lotus, i think Kimi has got the Ferrari drive. Who his partner at Lotus will be is another queston, Maldonado rumours seem to be getting stronger

According to Bouiller Grosjean, because of  continuity see: http://www.autosport...t.php/id/109799

[Lights]

If he goes to Lotus it will be in due time regarding his career. There's always been some promise and I think he can really deliver at a top team better than Massa, Webber or Grosjean can. Would have been a stronger option for McLaren instead of Perez as well. Too bad he couldn't go to Red Bull somehow.

[Owen]

50% discount on all Hulkenberg Sauber clothing at the online shop now.

[anbeck]

50% discount on all Hulkenberg Sauber clothing at the online shop now.

 

I thought you were kidding, but it's actually true! So now you have to pay twice as much for a #12 cap than for a #11 cap....

[Owen]

I thought you were kidding, but it's actually true! So now you have to pay twice as much for a #12 cap than for a #11 cap....

it is true. Where he's going though, well that's another matter.

[Tron]

Well, prior to Hungary the Hulk was given a promise by Ferrari...

http://autosprint.co...a-attesa/10195/

[Dunc]

Some drivers have easy career. Pundits, media and fans talk him up alot for occasional good race and put the rail for top team. 

 

Where were those people when drivers like Kobayashi and Perez did well finishing on 5th, 4th and on podiums? How very unfair F1 is.

 

I totally agree with you.  The Hulk is a driver with potential who has had some good results in midfield cars.  The same can be said of Perez, Di Resta, Kobayashi, and Maldonado, the only driver of his era with both a pole position and a race win to his name.  I'm not taking anything away from The Hulk, I just don't get why he's being singled out as the second coming.

[Tron]

I don't think McLaren ever needed Perez' money.

 

True. I think they were banking on him to be the next Senna or Lewis explosion.

[Lights]

I totally agree with you.  The Hulk is a driver with potential who has had some good results in midfield cars.  The same can be said of Perez, Di Resta, Kobayashi, and Maldonado, the only driver of his era with both a pole position and a race win to his name.  I'm not taking anything away from The Hulk, I just don't get why he's being singled out as the second coming.

 

Maybe because he actually beat Di Resta? I don't think anyone is claiming him to be the second coming, but he's good. Perez got his promotion and Kobayashi couldn't beat Perez. Maldonado is a special case, he has shown flashes of speed but caused too much mayhem with it to be considered as highly.

[bub]

Maybe because he actually beat Di Resta? I don't think anyone is claiming him to be the second coming, but he's good. Perez got his promotion and Kobayashi couldn't beat Perez. Maldonado is a special case, he has shown flashes of speed but caused too much mayhem with it to be considered as highly.

 

Add to that Hulkenberg had a more impressive pre F1 career than all of those guys.

[DampMongoose]

I totally agree with you.  The Hulk is a driver with potential who has had some good results in midfield cars.  The same can be said of Perez, Di Resta, Kobayashi, and Maldonado, the only driver of his era with both a pole position and a race win to his name.  I'm not taking anything away from The Hulk, I just don't get why he's being singled out as the second coming.

 

Well in comparison to those mentioned he has won a championship at every level he's raced at, he also blew his team mate Maldonado into the weeds in his first year of GP2 after Pastor had been racing GP2 for 3 years.

 

Kobayashi hasn't really proven himself much in terms of consistent results in any series, Di Resta Ok ish but DTM maybe makes it difficult to value his ability and he doesn't seem to have a grip on Sutil either and Sergio Perez had very average results in the lower formulae aside from his podium for Sauber.

 

Each to their own but Hulkenberg looks to have far more potential than most... whether he has a chance to prove it we'll see, as someone mentioned F1 isn't always fair...

[eronrules]

I totally agree with you.  The Hulk is a driver with potential who has had some good results in midfield cars.  The same can be said of Perez, Di Resta, Kobayashi, and Maldonado, the only driver of his era with both a pole position and a race win to his name.  I'm not taking anything away from The Hulk, I just don't get why he's being singled out as the second coming.

you know what Hulk reminds me of??? a certain Mark webber

 

in fact, it's pretty similar in more ways than none, both had great start to there career, only to be disappointed by the shortcoming of there car and the competetiveness of the team.

 

mark started with minardi, did brilliant in the first race in melbourne, then went to jaguar at a time when the were improving, but jaguar (i.e ford) withdrew support, he then went to a failling Williams BMW hoping of better thing .. didn't last long and made his way back to his old team now in a new guise of RBR

 

from 2005 to 2008., RBR looked just like Jaguar did, good midfield team, but then the pieces of the puzzle fell into place and since 2009 RBR is the them to beat.

 

like mark, Nico Hulkenberg had been in the right teams at the wrong time. (ok leaving FI was a mistake, but no body knew they'll **** up this bad). he needs to star in a midfield team with continuity, a team like LotusF1 that'll enable him to show his abilities and make him a valued commodity. 

 

here's what EB said regarding NH's chances 

 

 

 

"He had a good weekend and we know Nico is quite a good driver and fast," said Boullier after the Italian Grand Prix.

"I have known him for a long time, since he was in Formula BMW.

"Nico is also on the shortlist of Ferrari, from what I understand.

"So we all have plans, if the first one is removed, there will be a b-plan."

[Seanspeed]

Hulk is already a valued commodity.  Its mainly a matter of who picks him up now.

 

And I hope that if Ferrari are indeed going with Kimi that they haven't burnt any bridges with Hulk over this, though it wouldn't surprise me if Ferrari handled all this with the grace of a sledgehammer.

[vivafroilan!]

Well in comparison to those mentioned he has won a championship at every level he's raced at, he also blew his team mate Maldonado into the weeds in his first year of GP2 after Pastor had been racing GP2 for 3 years.

 

Kobayashi hasn't really proven himself much in terms of consistent results in any series, Di Resta Ok ish but DTM maybe makes it difficult to value his ability and he doesn't seem to have a grip on Sutil either and Sergio Perez had very average results in the lower formulae aside from his podium for Sauber.

 

Each to their own but Hulkenberg looks to have far more potential than most... whether he has a chance to prove it we'll see, as someone mentioned F1 isn't always fair...

 

+1  Well said.

[DutchQuicksilver]

So, Hulkenberg looks to be prime candidate to replace Raikkonen. That means no more money issues at Lotus? Though, Hulkenberg's wage will be a lot lower than Kimi's of course.

[jrg19]

Hope Hulk gets the Lotus drive, doesn't deserve to be out of F1.

[OvDrone]

He had great performances in three different teams. It's time to make it four. C'mon Boullier.

[grunge]

Its frustrating to see him potentially without a seat right now while folks like Perez,Diresta have decent cars to drive next year..

I'm sure a part of McLaren is kicking itself for not signing Hulkenberg in place of Perez..Their driver signings/talent spotting in the past 6,7 years has been very mediocre..invested 2 years in Heikki and lost the WCC in 08 due to that..then lost Hamilton out of nowhere..and now gambled on Diresta while the guy that beat him convincingly was available all the time..As mentioned before the gap percentage in points scored this season between the 2 drivers is the most lopsided at McLaren compared to all other teams bar Sauber..

I don't think money matters too much to Hulk at this stage of his career..he needs to make a wise choice this year after the mistake,IMO of leaving FI last season..Just sign up Lotus with whatever they are offering..he has much better chances of further strengthning his image as the next big thing driving for a 2nd tier team rather than a 3rd tier one like Sauber.I hope 2015 will mark the opening of at least a couple of slots in better teams and he can jump into a top car then..Maybe McLaren,Maybe even Ferrari if things heat up inside their garage too much next year.

Edited by grunge, 10 September 2013 - 22:36.

[Tron]

I'm sure a part of McLaren is kicking itself for not signing Hulkenberg in place of Perez.

 

Perez might do a turn around. He has the talent, but there's also alot of frustration of getting a car that's worse than last year's Sauber.

 

If Hulk goes to Lotus, and starts cracking podiums it will secure his seat with any of the big teams from then on.

[ensign14]

Its frustrating to see him potentially without a seat right now while folks like Perez,Diresta have decent cars to drive next year..

Hulk had the Di Resta drive and gambled on giving it up.

[CoolBreeze]

Either Ferrari or Lotus. Depends where Kimster ends up.

[RedRocksF1]

It seems that Ferrari will hire Raikonen, I think it´s a big mistake. Raikonen won 2007 title yes, but we all know how and why, and in 2008-2009 was beaten by Massa, it´s a fact that many have forgotten.

 

Hulkenberg is a better option, great promise, young, reliable. Can beat Alonso more often in quali and learn of him how to manage the races. And doesn´t have other problems related with the ego or the special character.

[Shiroo]

well Hulk will probably end in Lotus as replecement of Kimi. Though I wouldn't give my hand now that the 2nd seat will belong to Grosjean.

[Vesuvius]

well Hulk will probably end in Lotus as replecement of Kimi. Though I wouldn't give my hand now that the 2nd seat will belong to Grosjean.

lets hope Hulk gets the seat. About Grosjean, will see but Boullier said couple of days ago that if Kimi will leave than Romain is confirmed to continue because Lotus doesnt want to change both drivers.

[Shiroo]

lets hope Hulk gets the seat. About Grosjean, will see but Boullier said couple of days ago that if Kimi will leave than Romain is confirmed to continue because Lotus doesnt want to change both drivers.

 

Boullier can say whatever he wants to. If Lopez will say REPLACE, then they will REPLACE. Especially that there were rumors that maybe Briatore will come back to Lotus if Renault will deepen the relationship with the Lotus, so Boullier should be more worried about his position than his driver.

[Paul Parker]

Strange how a driver with such an obvious claim to a top F1 team has spent 3 seasons driving cars that have little or no chance of winning in F1.

 

It is vital that to succeed in F1, assuming a certain level of talent, that drivers must be well connected and onside very early on in their careers. If you have to scratch around in mediocre or average machines for several years then you are in peril of your skills and motivation being squandered and becoming sidelined. The difference in the F1 careers of Vettel and Hulkenberg is startling, the former has gone from strength to strength, from memory starting off with a single BMW entry in 2007 followed by several drives with Torro Rosso, then 2008 with TR and the Monza win then straight to RBR with 4 wins and runner up in the WDC followed by 3 and now probably 4 WDCs in a row. Much of this, in my opinion, made possible by Newey designed cars.

 

In my opinion Nico Hulkenberg is at least as capable as Vettel but despite his many pre-F1 successes he has had to rely upon Williams, Force India and now Sauber. Is he less marketable than others, or is he unlucky that there are already three German drivers in regular F1 seats, why for instance, as others have commented, did McLaren choose the inconsistent and overly aggressive Perez instead of Nico?

 

Let's hope Hulkenberg gets the Lotus ride or something comparable/better soon.

[anbeck]

I wonder what Hülkenberg is expecting mid-term, that is, in 2-3 years.

 

If rumors are to be believed, he was close to getting the second Ferrari seat next year. Should he aim for Ferrari in the mid run? Whether or not Kimi is on a 1 + X or 2 + X contract, with Kimi and Alonso in the same team, it cannot be excluded that there will be a free seat at Ferrari in 2015. That would mean Hulk would want to aim at a flexible contract, like 1 year with a 1 year option, at any other team.

 

Or would it ultimately be too much of a weight to keep aiming at Ferrari? Wouldn't it be more sensible to find a stable relationship with a top team, such as Lotus? They are not in the same league as Ferrari or Red Bull, but even if he signed a 2 + 1 contract with them and stayed for three years, he'd still be able to go to Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes or any other team.

 

If he's driving in a team and thinks of Ferrari all the time, that might actually destabilize him.

[ensign14]

The problem of getting better drivers into secondary seats would be solved by the e14 genius* solution of revamping the Constructors' Title to score it based on the second car.  In recent years you're better off being mediocre than brilliant to get into Ferrari or Red Bull for fear of upsetting The Chosen One.  But if you ended up behind McLaren or Mercedes in the WCC because half of your team was an afterthought, then that has an impact on the wallet.

 

* tautology

[fastwriter]

Strange how a driver with such an obvious claim to a top F1 team has spent 3 seasons driving cars that have little or no chance of winning in F1.

 

It is vital that to succeed in F1, assuming a certain level of talent, that drivers must be well connected and onside very early on in their careers. If you have to scratch around in mediocre or average machines for several years then you are in peril of your skills and motivation being squandered and becoming sidelined. The difference in the F1 careers of Vettel and Hulkenberg is startling, the former has gone from strength to strength, from memory starting off with a single BMW entry in 2007 followed by several drives with Torro Rosso, then 2008 with TR and the Monza win then straight to RBR with 4 wins and runner up in the WDC followed by 3 and now probably 4 WDCs in a row. Much of this, in my opinion, made possible by Newey designed cars.

 

In my opinion Nico Hulkenberg is at least as capable as Vettel but despite his many pre-F1 successes he has had to rely upon Williams, Force India and now Sauber. Is he less marketable than others, or is he unlucky that there are already three German drivers in regular F1 seats, why for instance, as others have commented, did McLaren choose the inconsistent and overly aggressive Perez instead of Nico?

 

Let's hope Hulkenberg gets the Lotus ride or something comparable/better soon.

 

It's quite simple: Vettel got a spot in the Red Bull Junior Squad and Hülkenberg didn't. Same as with Hamilton. He was picked up by McLaren, a Di Resta for example had to take the route via DTM and is now trapped in a Midfield Team.

[sopa]

I wonder what Hülkenberg is expecting mid-term, that is, in 2-3 years.

 

If rumors are to be believed, he was close to getting the second Ferrari seat next year. Should he aim for Ferrari in the mid run? Whether or not Kimi is on a 1 + X or 2 + X contract, with Kimi and Alonso in the same team, it cannot be excluded that there will be a free seat at Ferrari in 2015. That would mean Hulk would want to aim at a flexible contract, like 1 year with a 1 year option, at any other team.

 

Or would it ultimately be too much of a weight to keep aiming at Ferrari? Wouldn't it be more sensible to find a stable relationship with a top team, such as Lotus? They are not in the same league as Ferrari or Red Bull, but even if he signed a 2 + 1 contract with them and stayed for three years, he'd still be able to go to Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes or any other team.

 

If he's driving in a team and thinks of Ferrari all the time, that might actually destabilize him.

 

Depends on how good each team is going to be in the coming years. If we expect that in 2014-2015 the best teams are going to be Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren-Mercedes/Honda, who are also best-funded, then yes Nico should keep options open for beyond 2014.

 

It looks like Red Bull and Ferrari seats are locked for two years at least, so maybe will open there in 2016 if Vettel moves or Raikkonen/Alonso retire/move. McLaren-Honda is an interesting prospect, but like Lotus - also a gamble. Another gamble in his career. But I'm sure he'll consider them and McLaren will consider Hulk too. Mercedes? For how long is Rosberg contract? Rosberg is a decent number two driver and also almost the same age as Hulkenberg (I think only 1-2 years older), so there is no big reason for Merc to change.

 

So Lotus 2014-15, McLaren-Honda in 2015 or wait for 2016, when there are surely going to be some a bit bigger changes?

Edited by sopa, 11 September 2013 - 10:43.

[anbeck]

Motorsport-total.com sees the Hulk talking to Lotus, FI and McLaren (!). The longer an announcement of him signing at Lotus takes, the more I might actually believe the McLaren rumor.

They also say that Ferrari gave him the news via a text message on his mobile phone, not very classy....

 

But another thought: with Ferrari being not an option for him right now, I think it might be hard to get him there in the next years: isn't Ferrari interested in building up Bianchi for themselves? So even if there might be a free seat at Ferrari in 2016, it might not be Hulk's.

Just like Red Bull did with Ricciardo, Ferrari might be tempted to give Bianchi the seat over Hülkenberg because they invested in him.

 

So to be honest, I think he should look elsewhere for a long-term relationship beyond 2015. 

 

And if (very big 'if') there is something to the Mclaren rumours, then this might be the option. Lotus is on its way down financially and technically (unless Renault really comes back as a works supplier, but I haven't seen any sign of that). And while McLaren wasn't top this year, they certainly have more potential than Lotus.

[st99]

Strange how a driver with such an obvious claim to a top F1 team has spent 3 seasons driving cars that have little or no chance of winning in F1.

 

It is vital that to succeed in F1, assuming a certain level of talent, that drivers must be well connected and onside very early on in their careers. If you have to scratch around in mediocre or average machines for several years then you are in peril of your skills and motivation being squandered and becoming sidelined. The difference in the F1 careers of Vettel and Hulkenberg is startling, the former has gone from strength to strength, from memory starting off with a single BMW entry in 2007 followed by several drives with Torro Rosso, then 2008 with TR and the Monza win then straight to RBR with 4 wins and runner up in the WDC followed by 3 and now probably 4 WDCs in a row. Much of this, in my opinion, made possible by Newey designed cars.

 

In my opinion Nico Hulkenberg is at least as capable as Vettel but despite his many pre-F1 successes he has had to rely upon Williams, Force India and now Sauber. Is he less marketable than others, or is he unlucky that there are already three German drivers in regular F1 seats, why for instance, as others have commented, did McLaren choose the inconsistent and overly aggressive Perez instead of Nico?

 

Let's hope Hulkenberg gets the Lotus ride or something comparable/better soon.

 

Yes,  the differences in their careers are quite surprising given that both are the same age and raced together in karting in Germany. Vettel was "lucky" to get the Red Bull backing and then the BMW backing after impressing them in the Formula BMW, that meant two teams pushing for him to get a drive in F1 while Hulk was still in F3-A1GP and had to wait a lot more to get to F1. Maybe, if he hadn't rejected the Red Bull junior team, he coud be now in RBR instead of Ricciardo.

 

Also, he's unlucky because there are a lot of Germans in F1 so it's difficult to find sponsors.

 

Hopefully Lotus will give him a drive for next yeat and he will finally be able to show how good he is.

[MustangSally]

Lotus is on its way down financially and technically

People have been saying that for a few years. I'd have said the same when the team lost Flav, Pat Symonds and Bob Bell in fairly short order . . . but if anything the team improved. It has lost good drivers before (Kubica) and sponsorship (ING, Lotus Group). One can only say that the team is remarkably resilient and must have some strength in depth. The debt position is dire, but it is run by financial men who can sort those things.

I don't think it is a bad option for Hulk, until proved otherwise.

[William Hunt]

The debt position is dire, but it is run by financial men

 

This is actually the part that is the most worrying!

Look what 'financial men' have caused in the world...

Edited by William Hunt, 12 September 2013 - 15:15.

[MustangSally]

This is actually the part that is the most worrying!
Look what 'financial men' have caused in the world...

Um . . . you may have a point

Now I am reminded that, when last short of cash, Lotus pulled in Petrov and then Senna. Lotus has also had a string of big money deals fall through: Coca Cola, Honeywell, Infinity Racing. Nicolas Todt manages Massa and Maldonado and is talking to Lotus. Probably, if things are bad at Lotus, we won't see Hulk there. We'll know soon enough.

[DS27]

I'm getting a nasty feeling that Nico is going to be shafted here and left with nowhere to go, with Maldanado maybe taking his $ to Lotus - I really feel for him.

 

I bet he was useless as a child at musical chairs.

[William Hunt]

Lotus has also had a string of big money deals fall through: Coca Cola, Honeywell, Infinity Racing.

 

The Coca Cola deal went ahead, they are sponsoring Lotus this year! They use their brand Burn (an energy drink like Red Bull).

[Group B]

I'm getting a nasty feeling that Nico is going to be shafted here and left with nowhere to go, with Maldanado maybe taking his $ to Lotus - I really feel for him.

 

I bet he was useless as a child at musical chairs.

If that happens I will pray nightly for Lotus' demise. Pastor is little more than a one trick pony, he may have the wonga but will fall waaayyyy short as a replacement for KR.

[MMandi]

If that happens I will pray nightly for Lotus' demise. Pastor is little more than a one trick pony, he may have the wonga but will fall waaayyyy short as a replacement for KR.

 

It won't matter to them because they're probably banking more on Grosjean growing into becoming more consistent and ultimately team leader

[MustangSally]

The Coca Cola deal went ahead, they are sponsoring Lotus this year! They use their brand Burn (an energy drink like Red Bull).

Thanks for the correction. It's not very visible, though, is it? Can't be megadosh,

Speaking of visibility, Lotus would probably have to dump the black and gold livery if they pulled PDVSA or another major. It is too dominant, doncha think?

[jimjimjeroo]

Well rumour has it that Telmex is behind on its payments to McLaren, thus possibly opening a door for Perez to leave and Hulk to join!

[Anderis]

I would love to see Hulk at McLaren. Perhaps it could be even better for him than Ferrari with Alonso as a team-mate, or Red Bull with Vettel.

 

Those rumours don't make much sense to me, though. Last year McLaren said that they, in fact, expected some Mexican sponsors to join, but it would rather be a bonus than a part of Perez' contract. So, unless they were lying, lack of payments from Mexico shouldn't be a direct reason for replacing Sergio.

[bourbon]

And it would be weird if telmex was actually behind because they are one, if not 'the', wealthiest companies in SA.

[rmpugh]

Bit of an odd situation. Nico Hulkenberg has been constantly talked about in moving to a top team. Last year, he missed out on McLaren to Perez, this year he has missed out on Ferrari to Kimi, and it is entirely possible that he will miss out on Lotus to Massa. If this happens, then what? Sauber have confirmed that they will be taking on Sirotkin if he gets his super license, and Esteban is needed for the Carlos Slim cash. He has no financial backing, so Williams and the crap teams are out of the question. Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, (probably), Torro Rosso, (given it is a rookie red bull team), are all closed. So, could Nico's hopes rely on Force india taking him back to replace Sutil? If not then could his career come to an abrupt halt, despite being the one talked about as leading the driver market? Would Vijay stop him because he deserted the team in favour of fellow midfielders Sauber? It would be a shame, but I think it is possible.

[Andrew Hope]

I hope he gets a drive, and he's had 3 different ones already so sympathy is quickly running out. I think he's a good talent and I think McLaren cocked up big time taking Sergio "Mirrors? Que?" Perez over him, but how many chances does he want? You don't deserve anything in F1, you get what you get and you make the most of it. He doesn't "deserve" a seat any more or less than anyone else. If he's on the grid somewhere other than Sauber next year it's 4 teams in 4 seasons, and I can't think of any way that isn't a fair shake in a sport that you're lucky to get half a season in, regardless of how talented you are.

[KWSN - DSM]

I can see scenarios where he will not have a seat with Lotus, and with Sauber seemingly not retaining him then he could be left without a seat. Would make a lot of sense for any team without a confirmed lineup to hire him as a racer, and if they were smart for at least 2 seasons.

 

Marrussia, Caterham, Force India, Williams could then sell him end of next season when he have once more proven to be best of the rest.

 

There is zero reason for Caterham to chose Kovalainen over Nico, but it will likely happen regardless.

 

If Lotus chose Massa over Nico, then they do not want to win anymore. And personally I think the "Romain project" have failed and they need to move on from that.

 

[KateLM]

There's been some noise about his height and weight being an issue for 2014. Normally I'd take that with a pinch of salt but Mark Hughes on Twitter and Edd Straw in a Racer article have both said the same thing today so it would seem there could be something to it. Which would be a crying shame and proof that more really needs to be done about the issue, the taller drivers look anorexic as it is and F1 needs drivers like Hulkenberg.

 

I don't think bringing up the team hopping against him is very fair, Williams and the likely Sauber exit are money issues and not of his making. He's done more than enough to prove he deserves a chance in a fast car and is unfortunate to have arrived in F1 just as the money situation began to go badly downhill - not that long ago he'd easily have a secure seat.

[KWSN - DSM]

There must be a way to write regulations which will still give the taller drivers a chance to excel.

 

[midgrid]

There's already a thread on this topic.