Nico Hulkenberg made something of a hero out of himself at Racing Point last season. Twice he stepped in, first at Silverstone and then Nürburgring owing to coronavirus both times.
Eventually, Hulkenberg ended the season with three appearances and two races, both of which he completed.
He was forced to watch the first race from the pit stops owing to problems in Silverstone. In the next race there, he had a podium finish. The fact that he was able to accrue points at Nurburgring as well surely did his reputation no harm.
“It actually felt like a new chapter in my life. In the end, 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and personally I am quite happy with how I have handled it,” he said.
“It was definitely a challenge to suddenly live a lot slower, after a huge number of years in the F1 paddock.”
Hulkenberg knew that there was an opportunity to make a return. However, the right offer did not come.
“The right offer just didn’t come. There have been talks, but it never came to an agreement. I also said to myself, ‘You shouldn’t keep going at all costs, otherwise leave it for a while, knowing that you run the risk of never coming back.
“I’ve had a good ten years and I’m not the type to just keep going continuously. Certainly not to return and drive in the last places on the grid. So I said no for a reason,” Hulkenberg said.