The 83rd 24 Hours of Le Mans was held last weekend. The race was won by Porsche, which was their first win since 1998. The victorious drivers were the WEC pair of Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber, and F1’s Nico Hülkenburg. Like Bamber, this was Hülkenberg’s first Le Mans outing, and the fact that it was only his second time in a competitive sports-car endurance race makes the victory even more impressive.
The Future of Nico Hülkenberg in F1
Hülkenberg has been involved in F1 since 2010, and even though he has impressed in his time in the sport, he seems to fall short of getting a top drive. Hülkenberg’s win in Le Mans may prompt some movement among the top teams in the F1 market, or even allow the German to make his name in another top level class of motorsport.
Why hasn’t Hülkenberg obtained a top drive yet? Sponsorship is a key factor. At the end of 2010, he lost his seat at Williams for Pastor Maldonado, as the Venezuelan was bringing more money to the table. When the sponsorship isn’t there, then the other way to demand a top drive is on performances and results. Hülkenberg has had some impressive drives, and is consistently in the points in underperforming cars, but he has never been on the podium. In 83 starts, that is a telling statistic, especially as last year his team-mate, Sergio Pérez, was able get third in Bahrain, where Hülkenberg was only able to finish in fifth. Before Le Mans, Hülkenberg may have had the top teams doubting his true credentials to deliver the top results, and with the lack of sponsorship money, then he may have not be seen as the preferred option for the top teams.
His victory in Le Mans, one of the most prestigious races in the world, clearly casts away these doubts about Hülkenberg delivering on the big stage. His stock and reputation will now be on the rise; where can he go?
Mercedes
The German manufacturer would be interested in signing up a German Le Mans winner. Their backers would love to see a winning German driver in a winning German branded car, and it would be a PR success. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are both contracted beyond this season, so the earliest a seat would become available wouldn’t be until 2017. Therefore, this move would be all about whether Hülkenberg wants to wait another year for a top drive.
Ferrari
Kimi Räikkönen’s contract runs out at the end of the season, and with his below-par performances since he joined the Maranello outfit in 2014, then the feeling is that Ferrari will be looking for a team-mate for Sebastian Vettel. There were rumours a few seasons ago that Hülkenberg would be replacing Felipe Massa for either the 2013 or 2014 season. These murmurings became silenced in recent times, and the new boy on the Scuderia’s radar is Valtteri Bottas. With Hülkenberg’s name now getting mentioned again, then team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has a good problem to have as Ferrari consider their options for next year. However, would the Italian outfit want two Germans of the same age spearheading their team?
Williams
If Bottas were to leave for Ferrari, then there would be a race seat available at the Oxford-based team. There is still no word on Massa’s future as well, so the outfit might be looking for a completely new driver line-up for 2016, and who better to head it than a driver who the team knows well? Would Nico go back to a team who let him go so easily a few years ago, and would Williams be able to provide a competitive enough package to entice the German?
Red Bull/McLaren
Both outfits have the same issues for Hülkenberg. Both are struggling for performance and nowhere near the front. Furthermore, if they were to change their driver line-ups, then they would look to their youth set-up and promote from within than pinch a driver from another team. There is very little chance that Hülkenberg would be considered for either of these teams, and whether he would consider them himself is another matter.
Ferrari and Mercedes looks like Hülkenberg’s best chances of obtaining a top drive in F1. But what are his options if none of these materialise? He showed his skills in endurance racing at Le Mans. It would be easy to presume that Porsche are at least having a nibble on Hülkenberg’s ear about joining their outfit on a full-time basis. The other principal class of motorsport that may be on offer for the German would be the IndyCar Series. Both would be lucrative markets to go into and they would keep him at the top of the motorsport world. He may consider leaving F1 for a season to try his hand in one of these disciplines, and then come back to a top team.
Hülkenberg has stated that he wants to stay in F1. The win at Le Mans can only help his chances, but with limited options in the future, then maybe the German may have to change his career path, and move on from F1, so he can get the achievements and accolades his talent truly deserves.
