Nico Hulkenberg says he aims to "kick ass" during his Formula 1 comeback season with the Haas team in 2023. The German last raced full-time in F1 back in 2019 with the Renault outfit, but lost his seat as they elected to bring Esteban Ocon aboard for the 2020 season. During his absence from the grid, Hulkenberg has filled in for Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel after all three tested positive for COVID-19 at five Grands Prix. His last race was the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, coming home 12th for Aston Martin, for whom he was a reserve driver. However, for 2023, Hulkenberg will replace Mick Schumacher at Haas, after boss Guenther Steiner felt his midfield, points-scoring prowess would be a better suit for the team. Speaking after driving the Haas machine, Hulkenberg explained that his one goal is to come back and not have any regrets.
Hulkenberg wants to "kick ass"
"For two years, I wasn't too stressed about [not driving] and was also enjoying the life out of the driving seat," Hulkenberg explained to media including RacingNews365.com. "It's much more relaxed and there's other benefits, but then it kind of creeps back in, the desire to be back on the grid, to go racing, to kick ass and be in the driving seat. "There was no fear [in not knowing whether a seat would materialise]. "The teams ultimately make the decisions who they want in their cars, and they usually choose what they think is best for them, who will have the best results to be the most competitive. "I guess [Haas] looked at my career, my statistics, and at the current COVID races, and in the discussions, I guess I convinced them that I'm the good choice."
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