Formula 1: If not Haas, where will Nico Hulkenberg end up in 2020?

If Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg does not end up signing with Haas for the 2020 Formula 1 season, where else might he end up?

Ending months of speculation, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport re-signed Valtteri Bottas for the 2020 Formula 1 season, and reserve and test driver Esteban Ocon was confirmed at Renault.

As a result, it was confirmed that Nico Hulkenberg will not be back with the French marque next season. In fact, before either one of these two signings were announced, the 32-year-old German practically confirmed this news himself.

For Hulkenberg, Haas has been rumored as the most likely landing spot, and these rumors make sense. Romain Grosjean has struggled, and after just barely saving his ride after a disastrous start last year for this season, his 2019 season has been an even greater disaster.

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Haas have also confirmed that they will likely not pursue a rookie driver, effectively eliminating reserve and test driver Pietro Fittipaldi from the discussion.

While Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen don’t exactly have the friendliest of histories together, their most notably run-in with one another from two years ago is reportedly “water under the bridge”.

Before it was confirmed that Hulkenberg would be replaced by Ocon after the 2019 season, Renault managing director Cyril Abiteboul made a comment hinting that a previous rumor about Hulkenberg was true.

This rumor has not been confirmed, but the basis of it is that Hulkenberg could not be released be Renault after the 2019 season ends unless he signs elsewhere.

So if Haas end up not signing Hulkenberg, whether that means they re-sign Grosjean or sign somebody completely different, perhaps even Fittipaldi if team principal Guenther Steiner has a change of heart, where would he end up?

Red Bull Racing have already effectively ruled out the possibility of signing Hulkenberg, and one would think that this also pertains to Scuderia Toro Rosso, effectively the Red Bull Racing junior team, especially with how many drivers are already in the discussion to drive for Toro Rosso next year.

However, one possibility that has not been floated nearly as much as the Haas possibility is Hulkenberg driving for Alfa Romeo Racing.

Of the six remaining open seats for the 2020 season, the seat alongside Kimi Raikkonen is the seat with the most uncertainty. Ferrari test driver Antonio Giovinazzi was placed with the team due to their ties to Ferrari, and has not performed well in his rookie season. Barring a resurgence, logic suggests that the team will look to replace him after the 2019 season ends.

However, there are no other Ferrari-affiliated drivers who appear to be ready to make the jump to Formula 1. There is no true “lead candidate” to pair with Raikkonen next year at this point.

Could that be good news for Hulkenberg?

Prior to the 2019 season, Alfa Romeo Racing competed as Sauber, Alfa Romeo Sauber last season. Hulkenberg drove for Sauber in the 2013 season, and no Sauber/Alfa Romeo Racing driver has had a better season driving for the team since then.

While the 2019 season certainly hasn’t been his best season, he is still performing well enough to be considered a major upgrade for the Swiss team. Renault as a whole have struggled, and he trails teammate Daniel Ricciardo by just one point (22 to 21) in the driver standings one year after he and the team won their respective unofficial “best of the rest” championships.

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If Haas don’t sign Nico Hulkenberg for the 2020 Formula 1 season, where else might he end up? Don’t rule out the possibility of him signing with Alfa Romeo Racing to become Kimi Raikkonen’s teammate.

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