The final piece of the 2023 Formula 1 jigsaw has been put into place with the news that Nico Hulkenberg is replacing Mick Schumacher at Haas. The 35-year-old will make his F1 comeback after three seasons as reserve driver for the Racing Point and Aston Martin teams. After two seasons, Schumacher's stint at Haas is over after an underwhelming second campaign forced team boss Guenther Steiner to look for other options - settling on the veteran German to partner Kevin Magnussen. Hulkenberg emerged as a candidate for the Haas seat halfway through the season, after public dissatisfaction about Schumacher's performances from the Haas team. “I’m very happy to move into a full-time race seat with Haas F1 Team in 2023. I feel like I never really left Formula 1," commented Hulkenberg. "I’m excited to have the opportunity to do what I love the most again and want to thank Gene Haas and Günther Steiner for their trust. We have work ahead of us to be able to compete with all the other teams in the midfield, and I cannot wait to join that battle again.” Schumacher is now linked with a reserve driver role at Mercedes, with team boss Toto Wolff expressing his interest in bringing the Schumacher name back to the team.
2023 Grid Confirmed
It now means all 20 seats have finally been filled, with just three World Champions competing. Half of the grid will be Grand Prix winners, as one World Champion in Sebastian Vettel and one multiple race winner in Daniel Ricciardo prepare to depart the grid. Joining are three rookies - one at McLaren and another at Williams, while AlphaTauri are set to gain probably the most experienced 'rookie' driver in F1 history, and also one of the most versatile.
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