Hulkenberg: I better not watch Red Bull or I will cry

With Alex Albon struggling relative to Max Verstappen in the energy drinks outfit, team bosses considered Hulkenberg to bring some much-needed experience to the other half of the garage.

In the end. Red Bull did opt for a veteran but in the form of 31-year-old Sergio Perez rather than 33-year-old Hulkenberg. But it was a close call according to team insiders.

The German, a veteran of 179 Grand Prix starts, has found work on the sidelines as Aston Martin reserve for 2021, last year he subbed for both Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll when they contracted coronavirus and impressed with his cameo during a challenging 2020 season.

Talking to Motorlat about the near-miss with Red Bull, Hulkenberg said: "I better not watch Red Bull, or I will cry. I don't think about it.

"I've been in talks with the team throughout the second half of last year. The last few races, that period when Perez started to do really well, that victory in Bahrain, then it was over."

Aston Martin have rewarded Hulkenberg with a sweet deal as team reserve, he explained: "I'm more of the test driver for Aston Martin and work with Mercedes.

“Mercedes is only a small job, for a few races. Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries also drive in Formula E and the WEC, so they are not available a few times a year. For those races, I am the man if something happens."

One of the big talking points ahead of this season was the curious case of Sebastian Vettel's vanished form. A break from Ferrari was expected to see the four-time F1 World Champion reset and bounce back with Lawrence Stroll's career lifeline. However, early indications are that Vettel's woeful form may well transfer over from Maranello to Silverstone.

But Hulkenberg expects Vettel to rebound: "He will finish the season there, I think, but there is still something to come. It takes a while, he doesn't feel completely comfortable yet. You can see that on the stopwatch, but yes, it is not my decision.

As for opportunities, beyond F1 for the 2015 Le Mans winner: "If it doesn't happen for me in Formula 1, then, of course, I have to see what I want to do. The racing is still in me, I miss it, so I have to look at other things. I want to be sitting in a seat again for years."