F1 News: Nico Hulkenberg Seen In Red Bull Hospitality Sparking Haas Move Rumours

Nico Hulkenberg was seen with Red Bull during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.

Sky Sports F1 reporter Natalie Pinkham saw Nico Hulkenberg at the Red Bull camp during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, sparking rumours of a move away from Haas for the German driver. 

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has recently expressed admiration for Hulkenberg, suggesting he would be an ideal teammate for their star driver, Max Verstappen. Marko commented to Motorsport-Total.com:

"That’s the right thought. The two would be the perfect qualifying and race combination."

This raised speculation on Hulkenberg's presence in Red Bull, with Pinkham expressing her intrigue on the F1 Nation podcast, commenting:

"It interests me that Nico Hulkenberg just walked past us to go into Red Bull. What’s going on there?" 

Hulkenberg has had an impressive 2023 season with Haas, showcasing remarkable performances despite the team's struggles. He is currently in fourteenth position in the drivers' standings with 9 points compared to his Haas teammate Kevin Magnussen who is in eighteenth position with just 2 points.

However, Erik van Haren, another reporter on the podcast, offered a potential explanation for Hulkenberg's visit. He noticed that Hulkenberg was carrying a bag and had flown in for the Belgian GP with Verstappen on his private jet. He proposed:

"I think he has a very good connection with the Verstappen camp, and I think Max is here with his private jet and Nico lives in Monaco, maybe that’s the reason he is here."

Van Haren suggested that Hulkenberg's camaraderie with Verstappen may even lead them to participate in the 24 hours of Le Mans together if they do not end up being teammates in Formula 1.

Meanwhile, Verstappen is comfortably leading his closest competitor, teammate Sergio Perez, by a substantial 125 points, making his path to a third consecutive World Championship look inevitable.