Why F1’s nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return

After three years as a reserve driver, Nico Hulkenberg returns to frontline Formula 1 duty with Haas this season following what was one of the most surprising twists of a rollercoaster silly season.

Given his absence from a regular race seat, Hulkenberg’s time seemed to have passed, something that the German himself had acknowledged. But, when Gene Haas and Gunther Steiner decided to drop Mick Schumacher and look for experience rather than youth for 2023, there was a very short list of possible candidates. Technical partner Ferrari lobbied hard for Antonio Giovinazzi, but any lingering hopes that the Italian had went up in smoke when he crashed heavily at the start of FP1 at October’s United States Grand Prix.