Hülkenberg to replace Webber at Red Bull in 2014?
While Helmut Marko reveals that Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) could have joined the Red Bull junior driver program, *Sport Bild* makes the German one of the candidates to succeed Mark Webber for 2014.
Author of a discreet start to the 2012 season, after a year spent on the bench at Force India, Nico Hülkenberg, promoted to a full-time driver alongside Paul di Resta, proved himself in the second half of the season. The German indeed scored points in 5 of the last six Grand Prix, for a total of 32 points, while the Scotsman only scored 2 points during the same period, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Cited as a potential candidate to replace Felipe Massa at Ferrari, the native of Emmerich will defend Sauber’s colors in 2013. The team will be his third after Williams in 2010 and Force India in 2011 and 2012. A path that the 2008 GP2 champion could probably have avoided by joining the Red Bull program: « A few years ago, he was on the list of candidates for our junior team, but Nico already had a main sponsor [Dekra, editor’s note] with whom he wanted to stay, » reveals Helmut Marko.
From then on, some – including the German publication *Sport Bild* – did not hesitate to place Nico Hülkenberg on the list of contenders for Mark Webber’s seat, whose contract was only extended until the end of 2013. The Austrian also believes that the Australian did not cooperate optimally in Brazil and is therefore already working on his succession. In this regard, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne are legitimate contenders but will have to prove themselves in 2013 to hope to play in the first team in 2014. If the Frenchman and the Australian do not fulfill the hopes placed in them by Red Bull, Helmut Marko could consider Nico Hülkenberg as an alternative to Mark Webber.
But the German is a sought-after driver. Indeed, for some, the arrival of Nico Hülkenberg at Sauber with a one-year contract could signal the interest the Scuderia Ferrari might have in him by 2014, in view of replacing Felipe Massa, who was extended late for an eighth season at Maranello. Thus, the drivers’ and constructors’ titles might not be the only points of contention between Red Bull and Ferrari this season.
