Nico Hulkenburg shows great talent when on the track. Even before his pole position, I have regarded him very highly, as he did a decent job against Barrichello, at times beating him. I don't think anyone would have expected a rookie to perform so well against the most experienced driver on the grid. I think he was overhyped before he got in the car and some people with very high expectations were let down. He's doing well this year in the Practice sessions and I think he's better than both Sutil and Di Resta currently. Williams made a horrible decision to replace him, and I hope they are regretting it now. Willi Weber said that Hulkenburg would not join the slow teams because Hulkenburg was too good for them. Now, Hulkenburg splits with his manager. http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/05/13/nico-hlkenberg-parts-company-manger-willi-weber/ It raises questions about Hulkenburgs future. He is probably the most talented driver not in an F1 car, and had a good manager in Weber. Is Hulkenburg angry that he is not on the grid? Without Weber around, would he be willing to join HRT or Virgin? I think splitting from his manager was a terrible decision. Hulk is a great talent and needs to avoid ruining his chances in F1 by joining a slow team. I hope he does not become the next Timo Glock. Where do you see Hulkenburg next year?
He should either have Maldonado's seat or Schumacher's. Ridiculous that he didn't get a drive this year, at this rate he'll end up slipping back into GP2 like Romain Grosjean did.
I think he will end up driving for Force India next year, which seat depends on Schumacher, if he retires then Hulkenberg will take over Di Resta's seat, if Schumacher drags on then I think Hulkenberg will replace Sutil.
Wasn't Weber involved in some dodgy dealings or under investigation for something last year? It's probably just a convenient time for Hulkenberg to get rid without making it obvious why. I also think Williams's hands were tied in terms of the funding Maldonado brought with him. That was before they posted a respectable profit, of course.
I think Hulkenberg should have done enough to get a seat. That said i do find him one of the most overhyped drivers around. The pole position was nothing special. Just a wet setup glory run, as the race that followed proved.
I agree in part with those who suggest Hulkenberg was over-hyped (much of it through ignorance on internet fora). He is good; perhaps scraping into the top two dozen. But he did not impress me in the way which, for instance, Hamilton did before coming into F1; and for that matter, Paul di Resta - who I believe to be fundamentally better than Hulkenberg. That said, I have been critical of some of the decisions being made at Williams for a very long time now…
Jose you made a big mistake. The best driver not racing is Kubica. I think Nico Hulkenberg is overrated, he didnt really impress me that much last year but he is way better than Spaghetti
not particularly impressive imo, staying in front of Alonso in what was a very processional race seems to have elevated him for some reason.
Miggins are you thinking of Petrov? I cant remember NH being ahead of FA except in Brazil, but he got ahead of him
yeah, you're right, it was Petrov, they're so ordinary that they blend into each other. They certainly aren't in the same league as these 'newbies' were: Kobayashi, Di Resta, Hamilton or Vettel.
Yeah, in the region of fifteen years. The arrogance they displayed in the mid-90s - that whole attitude of "drivers don't race our car to victories, we do" and "we make world champions" - appears to be alive and well in Mr Burns's camp.
I feel it just prooves GP2 is all just hype and nothing else. F1 make the driver a legend, not the lower series' where the competiton will vary.
Just to point out "Nico Hulkenburg" is a fantastic name haha. err I agree with the being overhyped but also think that the expectation of new rookies has been raised to an unrealistic level by Lewis Hamilton. Also with no testing it is harder for the rookies to gain experience. I dont believe he can slip back into GP2 can he once he has won it? I dont see the career of Hulkenburg going anywhere in F1. not in the near future anyway. I think it would be best for him to try and secure a race seat in touring cars or the Le Mans endurance series.
Yes. Sir Frank Williams (at that time not Knighted) was determined to show that it was his car - the one which Damon Hill had helped develop with his precise, (and concise) feedback, which had provided the platform for Ayrton Senna to be tempted to join Frank's ranks. - Needless to say, I was very much in the Patrick Head camp over Damon Hill's departure which I believed as an underhand and disgraceful public humiliation to a man he owed so much to. Patrick Head very nearly parted company over this, but many of the Williams' staff actually did! Many previously loyal personnel turned away from Frank and the writing was on the wall. My belief is that Jaques Villeneuve arrived when the car was at its best and went on to win his World Championship; but his lack of ability in the development department contributed to a loss of direction, the start of the downfall I'd predicted the day Frank announced his worst ever decision (in my opinion) over Hill.
