Nico Hulkenberg Hints at Sabbatical in 2020, Amid Various Offers

It is now almost certain that Formula One is bidding goodbye to Nico Hulkenberg in 2020. However, the German driver is adamant that he will be back in the sport soon. For now though, he simply has to bide his time until a good offer comes his way.

It is worth noting though, that Hulkenberg is still hot property, albeit not in Formula One. There were reports linking him to the DTM series, Formula E and the latest suitors come from across the pond in IndyCar.

The German is still clinging onto the vague hope that he may get an unexpected call-up by Red Bull. Aside from that, the 32-year old is out of a seat at the end of the season, having dismissed any chance of a seat at Williams F1. His last hope, Alfa Romeo, only recently confirmed Antonio Giovinazzi alongside Kimi Raikkonen.

Now, Auto Motor und Sport reported that Nico Hulkenberg has been handed an offer from IndyCar team, Ed Carpenter Racing. However, given his dislike for ovals, his appearances would be limited to road courses.

“Ovals are not something that attract or strike me,” he said earlier this year to the media. “I have a lot of respect for the drivers who do that, but it’s just not my thing. You can count that out.”

The IndyCar rumour cropped up after he dismissed reports of a potential DTM seat with Audi. Formula E was another option for him, even though all seats are now taken for Season 6. However, there have been temporary in-season swaps before, as some FE drivers juggle other racing duties.

“Maybe [I could] not race for a while. Honestly, I don’t know right now,” he told the media in Austin. “It depends on what happens and what unfolds here. Once we have that answer, I’ll look at other things.

“I don’t want to rush into something or jump on something just to race. It needs to be something that I like, a challenge that excites me. I have no conclusion, no perfect answer for that yet.”