F1 | Haas announce the signing of Nico Hülkenberg for 2023, Schumacher departs
Haas F1 Team has signed Germany’s Nico Hülkenberg to contest the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship alongside Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen, parting ways with Mick Schumacher at the end of the 2022 season.
Haas F1 Team and Mick Schumacher will part ways at the conclusion of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. On Thursday 20th the team confirmed Nico Hülkenberg alongside Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen in 2023, marking the German's official full-time return to the sport having spent the past two seasons in the role of reserve driver for the Aston Martin F1 Team.
Following two seasons together, Mick Schumacher joined the team in December 2020 having won the Formula 2 Championship that year, has come the decision of Haas to conclude his contract.
The German driver actually managed to collect his first points during the current championship finishing eighth at the 2022 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but unfortunately his season was also marked by three crashes that in view of his future in the team may have not been well seen by the team.
Having raced for Williams, Force India, Sauber, Renault, Racing Point and Aston Martin, Hülkenberg is instead a Formula 1 veteran.
In his career has amassed 521 career points in Formula 1 – including one pole position (Brazil 2010), two fastest laps and a best-finish of fourth three times. The German also holds a qualifying resume which includes 94 Q3 appearances. A career high of seventh place in the Driver Standings came with Renault back in the 2018 season.
The team shared the following statements:
Nico Hülkenberg
“I’m very happy to move into a full-time race seat with Haas F1 Team in 2023. I feel like I never really left Formula 1. I’m excited to have the opportunity to do what I love the most again and want to thank Gene Haas and Günther Steiner for their trust. We have work ahead of us to be able to compete with all the other teams in the midfield, and I cannot wait to join that battle again.”
Guenther Steiner, Team Principal Haas F1 Team
“I’m naturally very pleased to be welcoming Nico Hülkenberg back to a full-time racing role in Formula 1. The experience and knowledge base Nico brings to the team is clear to see – with nearly 200 career starts in Formula 1 – and a reputation as being a great qualifier and a solid, reliable racer. These are attributes, which when you pair them together with Kevin Magnussen’s experience, gives us a very credible and well-seasoned driver line-up which we believe will help push the team onwards up the grid. That’s obviously the goal and it was that ambition that has prompted Nico’s return to Formula 1 – he shares our vision and can be a key player together with the rest of the team in building on the foundations we’ve laid this year with our return to the points battle.”
“I would like to thank Mick Schumacher for his contribution to the team over the past couple of years,” stated Steiner. “Mick’s pedigree in the junior categories was well known and he has continued to grow and develop as a driver in his time with Haas F1 Team – culminating in his first Formula 1 points-scoring successes earlier this season. While choosing to go in separate directions for the future the entire team wishes Mick well for the next steps in his career path and beyond.”
— Mick Schumacher (@SchumacherMick) November 17, 2022
