“He realises that Haas is at a dead end” - Nico Hulkenberg wants to terminate his existing contract, believes Ralf Schumacher

Following Haas' poor performance this season, Ralf Schumacher is of the opinion that Nico Hulkenberg wants to leave the team.

Haas signed Nico Hulkenberg at the start of this season as Kevin Magnussen's teammate, hoping to score some points with more experienced drivers. Prior to Hulkenberg, it was Mick Schumacher who drove for Haas, but his contract was not extended at the end of 2022.

The team's performance this season, however, has been disappointing again. The Brazilian GP saw Hulkenberg finish P18 in the Sprint and P12 in the main race.

After finishing eighth last season, Haas has dropped back down to the bottom of the standings. In that context, Ralf Schumacher wrote in Sky Deutschland that Nico Hulkenberg might be trying to find a way out of the team.

"Hulkenberg also realises that Haas is at a dead end with everything they do," he wrote. "Haas is probably no longer up to date to be able to compete in the current Formula 1."

"That’s a shame for Hulkenberg," he added. "You get the feeling that he’s dealing with the situation openly and honestly, but maybe he’s also hoping that he can get out of it somehow."

So far in the season, Nico Hulkenberg has scored only nine points, while his teammate Kevin Magnussen is stuck at three. With just twelve points in their bag, Haas is four points away from Alfa Romeo in ninth place.

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Nico Hulkenberg expresses disappointment over recent Haas upgrades

The American outfit's uncompetitive pace in recent races might well affect their future. Haas has always been transparent about their financial situation and despite MoneyGram sponsoring them this season, there has not been enough development.

Talking to Sky Germany after the race in Interlagos, Nico Hulkenberg said the team needs a "real step forward."

"It's not a clear step forward," he said. "We understand that now and we know that. It feels similar in some places, better in some, and worse in some. At the end of the day, it's balanced. But we actually needed a real step forward in performance. Unfortunately, that didn't happen."

Hulkenberg further revealed a more concerning aspect for the team in the future; the aerodynamics. He is worried that if the issue is not solved then their level will remain the same.

"We have to go into the topic and see how we approach the topics of car concept and aerodynamics next year. Aerodynamics is currently our biggest weak point and we have to address that. Otherwise, it will be next year run similarly."

With only two races remaining in the season, it is apparent that the team is now focusing on their future car.