Nico Hulkenberg

© Nico Hulkenberg

Nicolas, known as “Nico” Hülkenberg, was born on 19 August 1987 in Emmerich am Rhein, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany).

Winner of the Formula 3 Euro Series championship in 2008 and the GP2 Series championship in 2009, he made his Formula 1 debut the following year with the Williams F1 Team. In 2011, without a contract with the British team, he became a test driver for Force India, who appointed him the following year. After a season with Sauber in 2013, he returned to Force India in 2014.

A rare occurrence for a Formula 1 driver, he won the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours on a Porsche 919 Hybrid alongside Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy, during his first time participating in the Mancelle event.

Nothing beats Monaco. It’s a real highlight of the year and the race I’m most looking forward to. Everything is out of the ordinary: the prestige of the event, the history and the glamour? I live in Monaco, so I stay at home all week long to enjoy all the comforts it has to offer. Some city routes like Baku or Singapore are excellent, but Monaco is simply fantastic and incomparable.

After three seasons in the Indian team, Hülkenberg will join the Renault F1 Team in 2017. Despite honourable performances, since the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix he has held the record for the number of Grand Prix appearances without a podium finish, dethroning Adrian Sutil. His Formula 1 career came to an end at the end of the 2019 season, when he was replaced by Esteban Ocon in his Renault for the following year. He totalled 177 Grands Prix, one pole position, two best laps, 511 points and 43 laps in the lead. In 2020, he is back for two races in Great Britain with Racing Point to replace Sergio Pérez, who was hit by Covid-19, and then Lance Stroll for the 2020 Eifel Motor Grand Prix.

He murmured that the German driver could find a regular seat in 2021, at Red Bull in particular, if the Austrian firm decided not to keep Alexander Albon.

Did you know?

Nico Hülkenberg also fell in love with the region, but not only for the beauty of its landscapes. Even though he is no longer a Formula 1 starter, the German enjoyed spending the night at home during the racing weekend in Monaco. He admits, however, that it is a long way to the track, so he has to travel by scooter.

  • Formula 1 Driver
  • 19 August 1987
  • Germany