Formula 1: Nico Hulkenberg likely out of a ride for 2020

Nico Hulkenberg likely won’t land a ride for the 2020 Formula 1 season after Renault confirmed that he would be replaced by Esteban Ocon back in August.

Confirming previous speculation, Renault make the decision back in August that they will replace Nico Hulkenberg with Esteban Ocon alongside Daniel Ricciardo for the 2020 Formula 1 season.

This move led to further speculation that perhaps Hulkenberg would land a ride with Haas, which were faced with the decision to re-sign Romain Grosjean or to let him walk.

While their decision did ultimately come down to Grosjean and Hulkenberg, they opted to retain Grosjean, who has driven for the team since they entered Formula 1 back in the 2016 season. Kevin Magnussen, who has driven for them since the 2017 season, is set to be Grosjean’s teammate once again.

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As a result, the odds that the 32-year-old German would land a ride for next season decreased.

There had still been five remaining open seats on the grid for next year, and Hulkenberg had been linked to two of them. The other three are all effectively secured but simply haven’t been publicly confirmed.

Red Bull Racing team manager Helmut Marko stated that Daniil Kvyat is set to return to Scuderia Toro Rosso, effectively the Red Bull Racing junior team, next year, and the team have stated on multiple occasions that they are not looking outside of their organization to fill their other seats. Marko later clarified, stating that Kvyat is simply set to stay within the organization, still in contention to drive for the Red Bull Racing senior team.

Nevertheless, Alexander Albon is still in line to return to Red Bull Racing while Pierre Gasly is in line to return to Toro Rosso alongside Kvyat, although those three drivers could still end up being shuffled between the two Red Bull teams. Marko and Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner have both confirmed that Hulkenberg is not under consideration.

The two seats that Hulkenberg had been linked to were at Alfa Romeo Racing and ROKiT Williams Racing and are currently occupied by rookie Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Kubica, respectively.

Here is what Hulkenberg had to say about landing at Alfa Romeo Racing, according to Motorsport.

"“If I could see myself there? Yes.”"

He added that he had already been talking to the team. With that being said, Giovinazzi still had Ferrari’s backing to return to the team next year, and given his recent improved form, especially relative to veteran teammate Kimi Raikkonen, that was never likely to change.

It is worth noting that Ferrari have the right to select one of the team’s two drivers, and Giovinazzi, not Raikkonen, was their selection for this year. Raikkonen has already been under contract with the team through the 2020 season since he signed ahead of the 2019 season. Now the team have officially confirmed Giovinazzi for next year as well, filling up that seat.

Here is what he had to say about landing at Williams, the team with the one true remaining open seat on next year’s grid.

"“I think they need somebody else. I think I’m not the right person, I’m not the right driver for them. Just where I am in my career and where they are, the timing side I just don’t think it’s the right timing for us. With all due respect to the team, and I’ve raced for them and everything, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”"

It has been reported that Hulkenberg, who drove for Williams in the 2010 season, his rookie season, has no interest in competing for the backmarker Williams team next year, and current test and reserve driver Nicholas Latifi has been tipped to replace Kubica, who has already confirmed that he will not return to the team next year.

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Will Nico Hulkenberg be on the grid in the 2020 Formula 1 season, or will he join Robert Kubica in that he competed in the 2019 season but will not return next year?

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