The German has not driven a single-seater since his substitute appearance for Racing Point at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, when he finished eighth instead of a COVID-infected Lance Stroll.
© Provided by Autosport
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Hulkenberg, who continues to be Aston Martin F1 reserve driver, told Autosport last weekend at the Circuit of the Americas paddock that the test was an opportunity to reflect on a future at IndyCar after his F1 refugee colleague Romain Grosjean successfully accepted this year Dale Coyne Racing had switched.
Arrow McLaren SP has not yet committed to driving a third car next year and therefore did not see the test – open to rookies and teams who have not yet confirmed their driver roster – as a chance to evaluate the 34 year year – old.
McLaren boss Zak Brown noted, however, that Hulkenberg was “at the top of the list” of candidates for a future third car.
Hulkenberg completed 108 laps of the 2.38-mile course in Alabama, with his best performance in 1: 07.455 minutes on his 59th lap, 59.
With this time he was a little more than 1 second behind the best time of the budding Indy Lights graduate David Malukas, who drove the DCR entry Vasser Sullivan, which was promoted by Ed Jones in 2021.
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Hulkenberg was the slowest of the five cars present at the test
Hulkenberg was the slowest of the five cars present at the test
Photo by: IndyCar
Malukas, who set a time of 1: 06.398 seconds to top the times, is expected to join Takuma Sato on the team next year after being brought up to the Lights title by Kyle Kirkwood.
2012 IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was second fastest in the # 20 Ed Carpenter Racing machine.
After 12 years at Andretti Autosport, the 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner split from the team at the end of 2021 and is in the running to replace incumbent Conor Daly as the team’s road and road driver, with team boss Ed Carpenter taking over the Oval.
Devlin DeFrancesco drove for Andretti, overtaking new Lights champion Kirkwood by 0.2 seconds in their second test runs for the team after they both spun laps at Sebring earlier this month.
DeFrancesco is expected to be announced as a replacement for James Hinchcliffe in Andretti’s # 29 AA car, but Kirkwood’s immediate future is more unclear for now.
FIA Formula 3 race winner Logan Sargeant was scheduled to test for Foyt, but the American’s deal was canceled when the American’s deal to join the Williams Academy program was announced over the American Grand Prix weekend.
IndyCar: Lundgaard has not given up his Formula 1 career
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