Nico Hulkenberg shares which ‘extremely difficult’ Formula 1 team ‘wasn’t the best’ to race for

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Nico Hulkenberg is one of the most experienced drivers on the Formula 1 grid and is showing no signs of slowing down.

After 219 Grand Prix starts, Nico Hulkenberg is preparing for the end of his time with Haas before setting off on his next adventure.

The German driver has been superb this season and has a chance to finish in the top 10 of the Drivers’ Championship for the first time since 2018.

Hulkenberg had an incredible junior career, winning A1 GP before going on to claim the title in Formula 3 Euro and GP2 on his way to Formula 1.

Unfortunately, he’s never been able to convert that potential into a dominant campaign and his long wait for a first F1 podium continues.

READ MORE: Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg’s life outside F1 from wife to height

Speaking to the German Press Association, via FAZ, Hulkenberg has been speaking about his career – both what’s to come and his past experiences in the sport.

The 37-year-old has raced for plenty of teams on the grid and was asked if he had any regrets when it came to his career.

Hulkenberg is still waiting to hear from Ferrari about a race seat after a conversation more than 10 years ago and has spent the majority of his time running in the midfield.

He admitted that his previous spell at Sauber didn’t go to plan and after just a year he had returned to his old team Force India.

He’ll be hoping to avoid a repeat of that when he joins the Swiss team in 2024 for their final campaign on the grid before they become the Audi works team.

Nico Hulkenberg reflects on ‘extremely difficult’ first spell with Sauber

Asked if there’s anything he regrets about his Formula 1 career, Hulkenberg said: “Regret sounds so hard and extreme.

“Of course, there are one or two team changes. In hindsight, the switch to Sauber in 2013 wasn’t the best.

“The first half of the season was already extremely difficult, and the switch didn’t bring the results it was supposed to.

“At the same time, Force India, the team I had left, was very good. If I had stayed there, my career might have been different and I would have ended up somewhere else at the end of 2013.”

Nico Hulkenberg names the best move he made in his F1 career

Drivers who are perennially stuck in Formula 1’s midfield tend to run out of options very quickly.

It’s easy to forget that before Valtteri Bottas joined Mercedes for example, Williams were one of the strongest teams on the grid and the Finn already had nine podiums to his name.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber from team principal to Audi future

Stepping up to a top team doesn’t happen very often and typically sees those drivers playing second fiddle to their teammates like Sergio Perez is at Red Bull right now.

However, Hulkenberg has admitted that losing his F1 seat altogether in 2019 might have been his best move as it allowed him to refocus on what he wanted out of the sport.

After two years of cameos, Hulkenberg found a permanent home at Haas and he’s shone in a team who are on the up.

His move to Sauber looks like a step down right now given their current woes but Audi’s outright potential as a works team will offer him hope that he can finally end that long wait for a podium.