"Hungary 2017 is way past us": Nico Hulkenberg on how his relationship with Kevin Magnussen has evolved after the infamous 's*ck my b**ls' incident

Haas F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg mentioned that he and teammate Kevin Magnussen have moved past their infamous 2017 Budapest war of words after racing alongside each other this season.

The two drivers found themselves at odds with each other in the media pen in Budapest when Hulkenberg termed Magnussen as the 'most unsportsmanlike driver on the grid' after the Dane damaged his race. In response, Magnussen responded by claiming that the German 's*** my b***s' and not bother him anymore.

However, during his appearance on the F1 Nation Podcast, Nico Hulkenberg claimed that both drivers got over the incident some time ago and have been on friendlier terms since the beginning of the 2022 season. He said:

"It's good. It's very good. Hungary 2017 is way past us. Actually, since last year, we started to have a good relationship. So Bahrain last year, on Sunday morning, drivers turned up on the grid to do the beginning of your photo with everyone."

"I stood in for Seb and I think Kevin was the first guy standing there. He was on the little podium and my designated spot was right in front of him. So I approached him and then reached out my hand and gave him his exact words to his face. He found that quite funny and amusing."

Nico Hulkenberg spills the secret to his decade-long career in F1

The German driver returned to the F1 grid at the beginning of the 2023 season when he replaced Mick Schumacher in the Haas F1 team.

In Mexico, Nico Hulkenberg will complete 200 races in the sport thirteen years since he made his debut with Williams. He stated that it was difficult for him to pinpoint one thing as the secret behind such a prolonged career at the pinnacle of motorsport. Hulkenberg said:

"Consistency, performance – I don’t know, you name it. There are not so many people on the planet that have done that. It's definitely an achievement for me to have done that, as a non-Grand Prix winner. So I’m very happy to break through the 200 there."

Although he is currently P14 in the standings and has scored only nine points, Nico Hulkenberg has made a stellar return to the sport. He has already had some eye-catching performances such as his qualifying in Canada and the start in the Sprint in Austria where he found himself racing at the front.

Hulkenberg will hope that the team can deliver a more competitive package in the 2024 season so that he can score points more regularly next year.