Nico Hulkenberg Reflects on Missed Verstappen Red Bull F1 Chance

Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Nico Hulkenberg has revealed how his Formula 1 career nearly took a very different direction ahead of the 2021 season, after being considered by Red Bull Racing as a potential team-mate to Max Verstappen.

Hulkenberg was among the drivers evaluated to replace Alex Albon at the Milton Keynes-based team, a move that would have placed him alongside Verstappen in one of the most competitive seats on the grid. Ultimately, Red Bull opted to sign Sergio Perez following the Mexican’s maiden Formula 1 victory at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix.

That decision left Hulkenberg without a full-time race seat, resulting in two seasons on the sidelines as a reserve driver with Aston Martin. During that period, Perez established himself as Verstappen’s team-mate at Red Bull, contributing to the team’s sustained success at the front of the field.

Despite missing the opportunity to partner the four-time world champion, Hulkenberg insists he does not dwell on what might have been. He explained that hypothetical scenarios have never been central to his mindset as a professional racing driver.

“Not really, because I’m not really the dreamer type,” Hulkenberg said when asked whether he ever imagined racing alongside Verstappen at Red Bull.
“It would be different, but it didn’t happen.”

The German added that near-misses are a common feature of Formula 1 careers, but ultimately irrelevant once decisions are made and paths diverge.

“I had a few close misses, but at the end of the day, they don’t matter,” he continued.
“They don’t count. I am where I am and what happened, happened.”

Hulkenberg is now entering a new phase of his career as a driver for the Audi F1 Team, which is embarking on its first season in Formula 1 as a full manufacturer. He will once again partner Gabriel Bortoleto for a second consecutive year as Audi begins building its long-term project under the new regulations.

Overall, Hulkenberg’s reflections underline how a single team decision can significantly alter a driver’s career trajectory without necessarily defining it. As Audi launches its Formula 1 programme, Hulkenberg’s focus is firmly on consistency and technical contribution, leaving past what-if scenarios behind while helping shape the team’s competitive foundations, a process that will continue to be followed closely by Sportrik Media at https://sportrik.com/en.