Kimi Raikkonen’s hurty back has given Lotus an empty racecar for the next two grands prix and word is the team has offered the drive to Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg. Despite being one of the favourites to replace Kimi on a full-time basis in 2014 Hulkenberg has turned down the chance to fill in for Raikkonen in the US and Brazil.
Hulkenberg’s manager, Werner Heinz, told Bild, “We had an offer from Lotus, are available and have discussed about it. But we decided that Nico will drive the last two races with Sauber.”
Isn’t it nice to see such loyalty in F1 these days. Let’s forget for a moment that Nico shares an empty wallet with Kimi, thanks to Sauber’s own financial plight and that contractual issues might have made a late season switch problematic for Hulkenberg.
What we do want to know, though, is can we now put a line through Hulkenberg’s name on the shortlist of drivers in the sights of the Lotus F1 Team for 2014?
And in a late development it looks like Caterham reserve driver and former F1 regular Heikki Kovalainen is willing to answer Lotus’ SOS and lap up Kimi’s sloppy seconds.
[Source: Adam Cooper | Pic: Sauber Motorsport AG]
5 replies on “Hulkenberg says no to Kimi’s sloppy seconds”
Kimmi your not getting any younger and your attitude is making teams look elsewhere, wasted talent.
@James – I think you’ll find Kimmi has a seat for 2014..
[…] two-race offer. Lotus is apparently unwilling to promote its reserve driver, Davide Valsecchi, and Nico Hulkenberg has already knocked back Lotus. It’s now expected Heikki Kovalainen will stand-in for Kimi in Austin and Sao […]
Initially I thought he had backed down from negotiations from 2014 – prompting “WTF” reactions. Then I found this out, and it makes much more sense to at finish off your previous deal before starting the new one. 2 races before the end of the season. Big thumbs up for his own sense of right & wrong. He’s talking about 2014 with one team, but still remembers he has a job to do until the end of this year with his current team which have admitted that they have underachieved and underperformed, and is STILL giving his 100%. Why Ferrari/McLaren/Mercedes/Red Bull didn’t try to snarfle someone that has that kind of loyalty speaks much about their own internal processes……
[…] Hulkenberg: No. Michael Schumacher: No. Heikki Kovalainen: […]