Earlier this weekend, Sergio Perez was forced to pull out of the British Grand Prix after testing positive for COVID-19. As a result, the Racing Point team roped in Nico Hulkenberg to race in his stead.
This left many excited because the popular German finally got another chance to prove his mettle.
Unfortunately, his rotten luck flared up yet again, starting with him getting knocked out in Q2. On Sunday though, things got much worse as his car refused to fire up and the Racing Point team was forced to pull him out.
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Both Hulkenberg and the team were dismayed at the prospect of having to sit out and missing their chance at a dream comeback for the German, and rightly so.
CONFIRMED: @HulkHulkenberg will not take the start of the #BritishGP after an issue was discovered with his car leaving the garage to head to the grid. 😢
— BWT Racing Point F1 Team (@RacingPointF1) August 2, 2020
Nico Hulkenberg and bad luck in F1
Many in F1 know that Hulkenberg is a rather talented driver and thoroughly deserves a top seat in Formula One. Sadly, he has had tremendous bad luck throughout his F1 career.
In 2010, he grabbed a shock pole position for the Williams team, before dropping down the order to finish 8th.
There were several occasions where he was in a position to end up on the podium, but botched it. Two races stick out in mind, the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, where he collided with Lewis Hamilton and eventually ended the race in 5th.
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The next being the one where he was running in 2nd place at the 2019 German Grand Prix when he slid off the circuit. The circuit was soaked to the bone, and he lost control and slithered off the track.
It was a real shame too because he has the unenviable record of having the most starts without a podium.
The good news for Nico Hulkenberg is that he has a chance to redeem himself in the coming weekend. If Sergio Perez has to undergo self-isolation for the 10-day period, the Hulk has an opportunity to race once again for the 70th Anniversary race.
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ALSO READ-Â Nico Hulkenberg Opens Up on Formula One Exit, His Undesired Records and Regrets