INTERVIEW: Nico Hulkenberg is ‘Hulken-back’ for good – and he means business…

Nico Hulkenberg was one of the stars of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend as he marked his F1 comeback in style with high-flying practice performances and a place in the pole position shootout in qualifying. We sat down with the German on the eve of the new season to discuss his journey back to the grid with Haas and his hopes for the future as he aims to finish what he started in the top echelon…

A cheeky grin greets me as I lock eyes with Nico Hulkenberg in the Sakhir paddock ahead of our sit-down interview. He’s just hopped out of the Haas VF-23 for the final time during pre-season testing and appears to be in an excitable mood ahead of the 2023 campaign getting under way.

ANALYSIS: Why Haas split with Schumacher, how Hulkenberg got the nod – and why Steiner isn’t worried about tension with Magnussen