Former LeMans 24hr winner Nico Hulkenberg shares his thoughts on when he would retire from F1

Former LeMans 24hr winner Nico Hulkenberg opened up on the prospects of retiring from the sport and feels that when he thinks he cannot perform at a good enough level and compete with some of the younger talent, he will call time on his career. The German has been a part of the sport for a long time as he made his debut in 2010 with Williams.

Since then, the German was more or less a constant presence in the sport until his contract with Renault ended in 2019 and he ended up not having a race seat until the 2023 F1 season with Haas. At his stint with the American team, Hulkenberg has completely rejuvenated his career with performances that have turned heads.

His consistency and results have helped the American team secure P7 in the championship, and the German is now getting ready for a new challenge with Sauber, a squad that would become Audi in 2026.

With that being said, Nico Hulkenberg is now getting up in age, as he is the third-oldest driver on the grid, behind Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The German was questioned about what the future holds for him and if retirement is something that's on his mind, to which he said that this is something that depends entirely on when he thinks he cannot continue to contribute. When that happens, he will call time on his career. He told Racingnews365,

"I'm enjoying myself, I'm having a good time, so I make the most of it. For me, it's important as long as I feel that I'm quick enough that I can challenge and beat the young guys and contribute for a team. As long as that's the case, I think I will have a job and I will be here. Personally, when I feel I don't have what it takes anymore, I would probably be the first one to admit that and then to walk away."

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Nico Hulkenberg on the advent of new young drivers in 2025

The German was also questioned on his views about the influx of a large group of young drivers that would be competing in their first full season in F1 in 2025. There are drivers like Kimi Antonelli, Ollie Bearman, Jack Doohan, and others who will be a part of the grid next season.

When questioned about the influx, Nico Hulkenberg felt that the sport tends to go through these cycles. For a while, it was the veterans who got the opportunities and now it's the youngsters. He said,

"I think it's not all of a sudden, it's normal. I mean, it's life. People grow older, the next generation comes, you know? And sometimes there's a change of guard. I think over the last, I don't know, five, six years, we had more kind of experience [on the grid] and a little bit older drivers."

He added,

"Now, it's a shift towards towards younger drivers. I think that happens every I don't know, five to 10 years, and I think it's quite natural."

Hulkenberg himself would be paired with a young rookie in Gabriel Bortoleto. The Brazilian has already impressed in junior categories and would be looking to impress alongside the German.