F1 News: Sebastian Vettel defends Nico Hulkenberg's Haas move
Sebastian Vettel believes that Nico Hulkenberg deserves his second chance in F1 with Haas, explaining that 'the Hulk' has shown great potential.
Sebastian Vettel's close relationship with Mick Schumacher is well documented, with the 4-time Champion taking Schumacher under his wing in the last two seasons.
Vettel has often defended Schumacher in his two-year stint with Haas, but this does not mean he is unsympathetic to the difficulties Nico Hulkenberg faced in his career.
Nico Hulkenberg's career in the midfield consists of many impressive campaigns, including his three-year stint with Force India (2014-16) and impressive spell at Renault (2017-19).
Whilst no stand-out podium or race win was achieved in this period, Hulkenberg often outperformed his teammates and played an important role in his team's progress.
Renault's resurgence was primarily thanks to Hulkenberg's points contributions in 2017 and 2018, whilst Force India enjoyed one of its most successful spells with Hulkenberg and Perez at the wheel.
As quoted by formula1.nl, Vettel has expressed his support for Hulkenberg's return:
"Nico is one of the drivers who has absolute potential.
"Every time he's in the car, he's shown that. And maybe he wasn't in the right car at the right time here and there.
"That can happen to any of us. It could have happened to me, and then my career might have turned out a bit differently."
Unsurprisingly, Vettel's experience in the F1 driver market gives him a great understanding of the unpredictable nature of the sport.
Whilst Hulkenberg can be blamed for missing a few opportunities for podiums, he never competed with a team that could consistently aim for top-three positions.
Hulkenberg's failure to achieve an F1 podium was - traditionally - used to emphasise an issue with the sport and the disparity between top teams and the midfield.
Instead, some have turned his argument into an incredibly one-dimensional and unsubstantive criticism of Hulkenberg's abilities.
After all, the aim of Formula 1 is to score points, and if you're in the midfield, retirements from top teams are necessary to dream of anything more significant.
Ferrari's poor performance in 2020 and 2021 created a unique opportunity for drivers in the midfield to finish on the podium.
This year has painted a far more representative picture of Formula 1 in the last decade, with Lando Norris being the only driver to secure a podium outside the top three teams.
If Hulkenberg performs are his usual level next season, he will almost certainly demonstrate he belongs in F1.