Nico Hulkenberg admits Sauber move did not pay off – Formula 1 News
Nico Hulkenberg has admitted that moving to Sauber did not yield the results he had expected at the end of the 2012 Formula 1 season.
The young German showed some impressive form last year with Force India and continued growing stronger as the season progressed. He was in a position to win the
final round in Brazil, but luck did not favour him at all. Despite that, he decided to switch teams, which was quite a strange thing to do.
Had Hulkenberg been offered a deal with a stronger team, his move would not have been criticised. However, he went to Sauber, which was seen as a sideways move
back then. With seven races completed in the current championship, his switch has now been proven as a backwards, as he has only secured five points in the championship whereas his former team has been fighting the likes of McLaren and other stronger squads.
About the current season, Hulkenberg said, “It is tough. It [moving teams] didn't work as expected but, that's life. We just have to keep our heads down and focus
on the current situation trying to improve the car, make it faster.”
He added, “There's still the second half of the season then we have to get more points here and there. I'm pretty confident, but how much of a step and how much
we can transform this season it's still to be seen.”
The reason why the 25-year-old driver moved to Sauber was probably that he wanted to prove his worth in a car powered by a Ferrari engine. Over the past couple
of years, Felipe Massa has been under immense pressure and his place in the Italian squad has been under threat.
Due to this, some of the young drivers have been trying to get the attention of Ferrari in order to get a possible seat alongside Fernando Alonso, who is yet to
claim a championship with the scarlet car.
One of those drivers was Sergio Perez, who had a strong season with Sauber and expected a call from some top teams. Although he failed to get the attention of Ferrari,
he got picked up by McLaren. Unfortunately for the Mexican, his new team has been below par in the ongoing season until now.
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