Ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has confirmed that a new contract for Nico Hulkenberg is set to be worked on in the “coming weeks”.
Since returning to the grid this season after three seasons on the bench, Hulkenberg has performed brilliantly.
The German has been a qualifying star this season and has incredibly reached Q3 the same number of times as Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, highlighting his speed.
Whilst the races have been more challenging for the American team in general, Hulkenberg has still claimed nine points for the side.
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With team owner Gene Haas set to be at the Hungaroring this weekend, Steiner revealed that a new deal will be announced “as soon as possible”.
“We will definitely work on it in the coming weeks,” said Steiner to N-TV.
“Mr Haas is also coming to Hungary and Spa, and we always like to have these discussions. We have already talked about it, of course, but the final decision doesn’t take long.
“It’s nicer to do it in person rather than over the phone or via video conference. He is coming there, and hopefully, we can announce it as soon as possible.”
Prior to his move to Haas for 2023, Hulkenberg occupied the reserve driver role for Aston Martin.
Haas signing the German did raise some eyebrows, given how long he’d been away from the grid.
Hulkenberg has shown no signs of being rusty though, with his instant impact having surprised Steiner.
I knew he was good, but I didn’t expect him to immediately regain that form,” Steiner said.
“Because he hadn’t been a regular driver for three years. I thought he would need some time, but he came back and it worked immediately. We all knew he was that good. But we didn’t know he could come back so quickly. But he managed it.”
Steiner went on to discuss how well Hulkenberg has settled into the team, with the driver also having a “good relationship” with the Italian.
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“He feels comfortable. We have a good relationship. And not just with me, but with the whole team,” Steiner continued.
“He sees that we may be small, but I involve him in everything we do, including the technical aspects because I know he has experience.
“For my [engineers and mechanics], I always believe that when you hear it from the person who actually experiences the problems, both inside and outside the car, they can explain it best. If it comes through five different people, then something is always lost, and some things may be added, so it’s always open to interpretation.”