Nico Hulkenberg was previously linked to the second seat at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, but the team ultimately decided to sign Sergio Perez for 2021
This left the German without a seat on the grid for the upcoming season, but Otmar Szafnauer, team principal of the newly rebranded Aston Martin F1 Team, has hinted that Hulkenberg has a good chance of being signed as their reserve driver.
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“Could very well be. There is nothing to announce yet but watch this space,” Szafnauer told Germany’s RTL broadcaster this week.
“We are close to Nico and we are in discussions with him. That would be great for us all,” the Aston Martin F1 Team boss added.
Hulkenberg previously said the idea of becoming a test or reserve driver doesn’t appeal to him, but he may well have had a change of heart since then.
“I sat in a race cockpit for 10 years and stood at the start lights, so accepting a step backwards without much chance of getting back in makes little sense to me. That’s not the path I want to take,” Hulkenberg said last year.
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