Hulkenberg in Force India switch
After losing his Williams race seat for 2011, the German rookie's manager Willi Weber revealed talks with the Silverstone based team Force India.
"It is quite possible that something will happen this week," Timo Gans, who works with the 23-year-old's management, told the German news agency DPA.
It is believed a reserve role with a top team such as Mercedes, rather than a move to another series, is Hulkenberg's 'plan B'.
Timo Gans said recently: "Our objective is that Nico gets a place in formula one — as a race driver.
"That's our plan A and we're putting everything into it."
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| Nico Hulkenberg still looking for a ride |
11/25/10 Willi Weber, manager for Nico Hülkenberg, has said that a reserve driver place in a large team would be more effective for the departed Williams pilot than a spot at one of Formula 1’s smaller entrants. However, Weber has stated that a Force India race seat also remains a possibility.
At present, although a re-signing for Adrian Sutil is likely, Force India is yet to confirm either of its two race drivers for 2011 and in Weber’s eyes, with Vitaly Petrov looking more probable to remain alongside Robert Kubica at Renault, Force India would be the only realistic option for a race seat.
“It’s better to be the third driver at a top team than the first driver with a back-marker," Weber, who is also responsible for the administration of Michael Schumacher, told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.
He went on to explain that, should reasonable opportunities for a 2011 race drive run out for the Brazilian Grand Prix pole-sitter, moving up in 2012 would become the target. For the time being, Mercedes GP could be a possible home if a Force India race post is not viable.
11/16/10 (GMM) Force India has emerged as Nico Hulkenberg's best chance to stay in formula one next year.
The promising German rookie has been ruled out of an extended stay at Williams next year, as the British team apparently clears a seat for a paying driver.
"I heavily regret that, because I would have been happy to stay," the 23-year-old said.
Hulkenberg's manager Willi Weber revealed: "I am negotiating with other teams. Nico will have his seat in F1 in 2011."
Revealing that more news will come in the next "one or two weeks", Weber told SID news agency: "He has to stay in formula one. He is the next biggest hope for Germany after Vettel and Rosberg."
Auto Motor und Sport named Silverstone based Force India as the best option, with Adrian Sutil considering a seat elsewhere and Vitantonio Liuzzi's future clouded despite his possession of a 2011 contract.
Hulkenberg "requires far less salary than Sutil, but he brings far less sponsor money", the German report noted.
Another race seat might be open at Renault, but the latest speculation is that the Russian rookie Vitaly Petrov has done enough to justify the place alongside his sponsors.
And Spain's El Mundo reports that the Kremlin might add to Petrov's 2011 coffers, now that Russia is embarking on a F1 circuit project.
"Soon we will know what we are going to do," Petrov is quoted by The Guardian newspaper. "We have been going forwards, forwards, forwards, everything going in the right way."