"I feel no friction or tension between us": Nico Hulkenberg is enjoying his role with Kevin Magnussen despite rift in the past

Nico Hulkenberg recently revealed there is no friction between him and his new teammate Kevin Magnussen, as they are paired alongside each other for the 2023 season with Haas F1.

The Haas duo, who share a checkered history, have put past issues behind them as the German addressed his relationship with the Dane in Bahrain.

Asked about his rapport with Magnussen during a press conference in Bahrain, Nico Hulkenberg replied:

"We actually, you know, sort of broke the ice here 12 months ago when I stepped in for Seb. There's this driver picture on Sunday morning and we happened, you know, to be standing behind each other and I sort of, you know, [thought] it's time to break the ice and reached out with a hand and with a smile and put his words into his face. And that's where our relationship actually started, 12 months ago, and ever since, you know, it's actually been pretty good."

Hulkenberg added:

"We've been hanging out a bit over the winter, in the UK, doing some marketing and media stuff. And yeah, so far, so good. I feel no tension or friction between us. He's a dad, too. So we're both in similar positions in our life. And looking forward to working alongside him."

The conflict between the duo reached its peak in 2017 when Magnussen infamously said "s**k my balls" to Hulkenberg. Nico Hulkenberg revealed he broke the ice with Magnussen at the 2022 Saudi GP weekend when he was substituting in place of Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin.

The 35-year-old added that they have been able to share some time with each other over the winter and enjoy a more matured relationship at this stage of their lives.

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Nico Hulkenberg feels not much has changed in his life after becoming a father

Nico Hulkenberg feels there hasn’t been a significant change in his life since becoming a parent. The German stated that he might experience the changes after the first few races of the season.

Asked about his feelings regarding returning to F1 for the first time as a parent, the German replied:

“I haven't noticed any change so far, to be honest. And I doubt that there will be a big difference in feeling. Yeah, that's all I can say. Awareness now, it's very much the same. So let's see how it goes after a couple of races.”

Returning to the sport after a three-year hiatus, Nico Hulkenberg was a busy driver throughout the media day ahead of the Bahrain GP.

With an unenviable record of a podium-less streak in his F1 career, the Haas driver will hope to prove his worth in his second stint in the sport.