In the third part of our series comparing team-mates’ head-to-head records at the end of 2012, we’ve taken a look at something slightly different in analysing how the very close battle for supremacy played out at Force India between Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg. Unlike the respective pairings we’ve covered at McLaren and Mercedes, di Resta and Hulkenberg’s time as team-mates has ultimately lasted just one year with the latter having decided to switch to Sauber for 2013. Their head-to-head data is therefore limited to just 20 races – but it’s a comparison still very much worth making given More…

Sauber has confirmed the worst kept secret in F1 of the past two weeks: Nico Hulkenberg will drive for the Swiss team in 2013. With Sergio Perez moving to McLaren to replace Lewis Hamilton at season’s end, and Kamui Kobayashi’s future at the team looking increasing uncertain, Hulkenberg had moved firmly into view for Sauber particularly after rumoured suitors Ferrari opted to retain Felipe Massa. Rather like Lotus earlier this week, Sauber unusually didn’t confirm both of their drivers for next season together, simply stating that Hulkenberg’s team-mate would be revealed “at a later date”. Mexico’s latest young hope Esteban More…

Another midfield team has unveiled its driver line up for next year, but unlike Toro Rosso, which sacked both incumbents this week, Sahara Force India has gone with the line up which was predicted in the final third of this season. Paul di Resta keeps his seat for another year and Nico Hulkenberg steps up from reserve driver to race driver alongside him. This means that there is no place for Adrian Sutil, who has been with the team for four seasons. Sutil’s manager was a man on a mission in Brazil, which was the tell tale indicator that this More…

Here is a video with Part 2 of the FOTA Fans Forum in Montreal, featuring F1 drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Nico Hulkenberg as well as Team Lotus chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne discussing the stewards’ decisions on overtakes, collisions and “racing incidents” this year and also explaining to fans why F1 changes technical rules mid season, such as the blown diffuser, part of which looks set to be banned from Silverstone onwards.

There’s an intriguing interview on Auto Motor und Sport website today with Willi Weber, done by Michael Schmidt, Germany’s leading F1 journalist. Weber reveals that his driver Nico Hulkenberg was offered and turned down the second seat at Virgin Racing alongside Timo Glock. This is no great surprise, when a driver of his calibre is on the market a team like Virgin should aspire to hiring him. Arrows frequently made offers to Nigel Mansell throughout his career, for example. You can only ask.. But Weber does give away a fairly clear indication that Hulkenberg is going to take a test More…

Brazilian Grand Prix polesitter Nico Hulkenberg should find out very soon if he is going to be on the grid next season, as Force India is poised to decide its drivers. And Mercedes may well hold the key. The team has come up from the back of the grid in the last two years thanks to a technology partnership with Mercedes and McLaren, which provides them with an engine, gearbox and hydraulics system. And now it finds itself in the enviable position of having several strong drivers vying for seats, one of which is Hulkenberg. The incumbents are Adrian Sutil More…

Williams has announced today that the team will drop promising rookie Nico Hulkenberg for next season. At the same time it was confirmed that Rubens Barrichello will race on for the team in 2011, and unprecedented 19th season of F1 competition. Hulkenberg’s spectacular pole position in Brazil last week, where he set nine consecutive best sector times, was not enough to save his drive, in the face of the expected arrival of GP2 champion Pastor Maldonado, who has extensive backing from the Venezuelan government. Barrichello’s contract was signed some time ago but was not announced as the team worked hard More…

Everyone is talking about the start of this afternoon’s Grand Prix and how decisive it will be to the outcome of the race. There is even a sweepstake on what position Hulkenberg will be in at the end of lap one. Mark Webber is not in an ideal position, behind Hulkenberg on the outside of the track, while Vettel and Hamilton will be making tracks down the inside into turn one. From a championship point of view both of them need a big score today so they will feel they have nothing to lose from attacking at the start. Webber More…

For the past few weeks the word inside the F1 paddock has been that a deal for Pastor Maldonado to race for Williams F1 next year is done. There is an assumption that this would be at the expense of Nico Hulkenberg, who is in his first season in F1. Williams currently refuse to confirm or deny this, however they did announce this week that Maldonado will take part in the Young Driver test for Williams at Abu Dhabi next month. At 25 he is not exactly a young driver by today’s standards, but he qualifies in terms of his More…

Williams has announced the expected 2010 line up of Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg. It is a team they have had in mind for some time. Hulkenberg represents raw youthful pace, but crucially he has shown this season that he is also capable of shaping that into an all-round racing ability. He looks like a driver who will improve himself into the real thing and he is well managed by Willi Weber, Michael Schumacher’s manager. Hulkenberg has been on Williams’ books for two seasons and this year delivered his target of winning the GP2 championship, while Barrichello brings a blend More…