Nico Hulkenberg has opened up on the opportunity he missed to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull for the 2021 F1 season.
The current Audi F1 driver had been in contention to replace Alex Albon in the Milton Keynes-based outfit, putting him alongside Verstappen.
However, Red Bull ultimately signed Sergio Perez following the Mexican driver’s maiden F1 victory in the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix.
Hulkenberg ended up spending two seasons on the bench as a reserve driver for Aston Martin, whilst Perez raced alongside Verstappen for Red Bull.
Despite missing out on the chance to partner the four-time F1 champion, it is not something the German has looked back on with regret.
Asked if he ever thought what it would be like to partner Verstappen at Red Bull, Hulkenberg said: “Not really, because I’m not really the dreamer type. It would be different, but it didn’t happen.
“I had a few close misses, but at the end of the day, they don’t matter. They don’t count. I am where I am and what happened, happened.”
Hulkenberg will partner Gabriel Bortoleto for the second straight season this year as Audi embarks on their first season. in F1