Nico Hülkenberg at the Grand Prix in Mexico before the 200th Formula 1 race

He wouldn’t have thought that. Formula 1 racing drivers are professional optimists. When others have already put their foot on the brakes, they accelerate. Something is still going on, even though the door seems closed. Nico Hülkenberg saw it this way when others saw his career in the premier class ended after nine years of ups and downs in midfield: no more extension for the promotion project Renault after 2019.

But the pandemic, terrible as it was, gave the Rhinelander from Emmerich emergency calls. And so he raced back to happiness – straight from the TV studio – as a replacement for regular pilots suffering from Covid. Because everyone saw how quickly Hülkenberg found his way back and circled, Haas swapped him for Mick Schumacher for this season. On Sunday (9 p.m. CET in the FAZ live ticker for Formula 1 and on Sky) Hülkenberg is expected to start at the Mexican Grand Prix for the 200th time in a Formula 1 Grand Prix. In the 73 years since the premiere of this racing series, 21 drivers have achieved this – out of around 800.

Depending on the machine

Despite his pace, Hülkenberg cannot escape one question: What did he make of it when even Alain Prost (199), “professor” of roundabouts and four-time world champion, didn’t get this far? Hülkenberg hasn’t gotten past fourth place so far. At first glance, the answer describes the dilemma of most drivers. Man’s success depends on his machine.

That’s true – only partly. Yes, even series winner Max Verstappen wouldn’t make it into the top five in the Haas. But just this weekend, Formula 1 could once again show what the helmsman has in his hands: The Mexican Sergio Perez is desperately trying to finish second in the World Championship, a huge gap behind Verstappen – in the very best car. Perez, who drove alongside Hülkenberg at Force India, beat him twice in three years, but didn’t leave him behind. Why did he end up in a top team but the German never did?

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If there is magic in every beginning, then the end of an unfortunate debut also radiates something. Hülkenberg’s expulsion from Williams in 2010 was already certain before he raced to pole position in Sao Paulo. A fatal decision for the novice because it signaled to the racing team bosses that this German was not Schumacher, while Sebastian Vettel took over his role.

In five other teams, Hülkenberg quietly earned the respect of the industry for his reliability at a high level. He will – who would have thought? – at the age of 37, he will be the only German in the field in 2024. At the end of 2010, when he was no longer wanted, there were seven.