"He might get a Barbie but no podium": Nico Hulkenberg's new look leaves F1 fans in splits

F1 fans on social media could not get enough of Nico Hulkenberg's new look when he entered the paddock on Thursday for the 2023 Hungarian GP.

The Haas driver surprised everyone with his new hairstyle as he dyed his bleach-blonde hair. The German driver already has blonde hair, so the look caught everyone's attention when he entered the paddock on Thursday for media duties.

F1 fans were quick to give their reactions on the social media platform, Twitter, as they compared his look to Hollywood actor Ryan Gosling's look for Ken in the new 'Barbie' movie, with one fan referencing the same, saying:

"He might get a Barbie but no podium lol"

Here are some more relations to Nico Hulkenberg's new look:

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Haas team boss speaks on Nico Hulkenberg's new contract

Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner stated that they will soon give Nico Hulkenberg a new deal and confirmed that team owner Gene Haas is coming for the races in Hungary and Belgium.

As per Sport.de, Steiner said:

"[The new contract] will be worked on soon. [Team owner] Gene Haas is coming to the races in Belgium and Hungary. We've already talked about the contract, but it's better to do it in person than by phone or video. The new contract won't be long in coming. It's coming and we hope to get it done as soon as possible to be able to announce a new deal because we are very happy with Nico."

He also spoke about Nico Hulkenberg's performance this season and added:

"I didn't expect him to be in such good shape right away. He hadn't been a full-time driver for three years, but he came in here and it clicked right away. We knew he was good, but we didn't see that he would be in such good shape immediately. Within the team, he has a good relationship with everyone. As a driver, he is good at explaining what he wants. It is nice to see how he performs and how he competes."

He further said:

"For my [engineers and mechanics], I always believe that when you hear it from the person who actually experiences the problems, both inside and outside the car, they can explain it best. If it comes through five different people, then something is always lost, and some things may be added, so it's always open to interpretation."

It will be fascinating to see if the American team will give Nico Hulkenberg a long-term contract that might take him until the start of the new regulations.