Renault’s Nico Hülkenberg
As Nico Hülkenberg approaches the end of his third and final year at Renault, the German driver reflects on his time at the Enstone team, ponders what the future might hold for him – and confirms his love of racing in Formula 1
Sum up your time with Renault...
Generally we’ve had good times – it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster with good and bad moments. We definitely made a few steps forward this year, unfortunately we didn’t make the most important step forward. As a result there was more pressure within the team. We’re a factory outfit and people expect progress from us. If we don’t deliver then there are questions to be asked and pressure on people. That’s how it goes. All in all, I’ve enjoyed my time here.
At the launch of this year’s car, engine boss Rémi Taffin was particularly bullish about the gains that had been made on the power unit side…
We did make a massive step on the power unit, and Rémi and his team have done a good job. But on the car and aero side they’ve fallen a bit short, and the results haven’t materialised as we wanted. We haven’t been able to find the performance. Why? Tough to answer.
Knowing you’re leaving Renault and – at the time of writing – don’t have answers about next year, what’s your mindset going into these final few races?
My mindset is pretty positive. Maybe, given the situation, it might be the end of my career so I’m enjoying it more – I’m living the moment more. In a way it feels good. I’m just looking forward to the weekends, getting in the car and making the most of what we have: being in the cockpit, enjoying the competition and seeing what happens after that.
Jenson Button went through the same emotions towards the end of his career. He thought one season would be his last, then it was extended by a year… Yes, I think you see things differently. Your point of view changes. Generally I don’t feel under pressure or anxious. I’m relaxed and there’s still a chance out there. It’s not finished, there’s a realistic possibility and we’ll know for sure soon. Then we’ll have more certainty. Ten years in F1 is a fair time. I’ve enjoyed them and of course they could have been more successful. They could also have been a hell of a lot worse and my career could have been a lot shorter. So I’m pretty pleased with what I’ve achieved and what I’ve done.
Are you still in love with Formula 1? Yes. I love this sport. It’s such a big thing and to be a big player in it is quite something. Maybe you only realise that more when there’s a threat of losing it. The sport is a family, a circus and how we travel and move around the world together every single year is pretty fascinating. And it’s cool – the racing, the adrenaline, the emotion and the kicks we get out of it.
How hard has it been to come to F1 and spend so long racing with not even a podium? Would you like to remind people of your talents in other categories, like you did when you won Le Mans?
Not really. Ultimately, F1 is the pinnacle of motor racing and that’s it. I did Le Mans [in 2015] because of a few other reasons – things were difficult at Force India, so I tried and proved myself in a different category. But my focus is F1. This was my dream and passion growing up, I’ve never really looked beyond it. But when you do the junior stuff and then come to F1 you quickly realise you need the machinery to succeed.
You raced many types of cars in F1, what are your thoughts about the current generation of car?
In ten years there have been many different regulations and challenges. These cars can be delicate to drive with the tyres, they’re heavy and you need to be smooth – often it feels like you are driving on egg shells. It doesn’t really suit my natural driving style and sometimes I find myself maybe not enjoying every lap so much. But the rules are the same for everyone and you need to do the best with what you have.
Can you pick out a career highlight?
I think 2012 in Brazil, when I was leading the race for 40-odd laps. There were some crazy circumstances that day – that was brilliant. One of those ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda’ races. Then the other one for me was Korea 2013, in the Sauber. Finally, this year in Hockenheim – those would be the top three. I was P4 in Germany and I don’t know if I would have been on the podium or not, but if you look at the dynamic of the race and where my pace was relative to the opposition, then it was special. But… and then there’s always a but…
“MY MINDSET IS PRETTY POSITIVE. MAYBE, GIVEN THE SITUATION, IT MIGHT BE THE END OF MY CAREER SO I’M ENJOYING IT MORE – I’M LIVING THE MOMENT MORE”