Source:REUTERS/Manon Cruz
[Saba Sports News] Recently, Helmut Marko revealed in an interview that Nico Hulkenberg was close to becoming Max Verstappen’s teammate, but a last-minute decision changed the course of events. During the 2020 season, it became clear that Alexander Albon could no longer continue partnering with Verstappen. Red Bull began looking externally for alternatives and had identified Hulkenberg, who had effectively retired from F1 at that time. Reflecting on that period, Marko admitted that they had indeed discussed with the German driver. He stated, “At that time, I think Hulkenberg was a commentator for Servus TV, so we had already established some contact. We had also started preliminary talks, but then Perez won the race in Bahrain, and I believe that’s when everything shifted to Perez.” He mentioned that Servus TV is also part of the Red Bull group. Perez’s surprising victory for the Racing Point team at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix came at just the right moment. Since he would lose his seat with that team the following year, Red Bull became his only option for 2021, and he ultimately secured that seat. This decision left Hulkenberg without an opportunity, and Marko admitted that, looking back, he feels a bit regretful about it.