Although Helmut Marko has all but ruled out signing Nico Hulkenberg, Ralf Schumacher would like to see it happen as he believes the German could play a “good role” alongside Max Verstappen.

Hulkenberg arrived in Formula 1 in 2010 as a promising young talent having won several titles in the junior formula, including the 2009 GP2 Series where he beat several of his future F1 rivals, including Sergio Perez.

Nico Hulkenberg to Red Bull? Ralf Schumacher says yes

He wasn’t able to reach those same heights in Formula 1, and twice spent time off the grid, most recently from 2020 to 2022, during which time he put in super-sub performances with Racing Point and again when the team was rebranded Aston Martin.

His return to the grid full-time with Haas saw Hulkenberg take on the title of Mr. Saturday with his qualifying performances, while this year he’s flying the flag for Sauber with 20 points, 16 more than the team scored in the entire F1 2024 campaign.

However, with his 237 Formula 1 starts, the German has the unwanted record of having the most F1 starts without a podium result.

It could’ve been a very different story had Red Bull signed him in 2020.

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Speaking about the German to Sky Deutschland, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko mused: “Maybe it’s a good thing that he didn’t get the seat next to Max anyway. He was in discussions.

“Then Perez won the race in Bahrain, which was just in the decision-making phase and then tipped the scales.

“I have to say, he did very well after his unexpected comeback.”

Although a fan of Hulkenberg’s, Marko went on to rule out enticing him to Red Bull as Verstappen’s next team-mate, saying: “He has a long-term contract with Audi. That’s something I wouldn’t give up either.”

But as Red Bull’s struggles to find the perfect team-mate for Verstappen continue, former F1 driver Schumacher believes the 37-year-old would be the perfect team-mate for Verstappen.

Declaring that Hulkenberg is having a “second spring” in his Formula 1 career, Schumacher reckons his compatriot’s age and experience would play a “good role” alongside the four-time World Champion.

“You have to be honest and say that Nico has made his development in life like all of us,” Schumacher told Sky’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast. “He is now a father, 37, I think, so from that point of view, you see things a bit more relaxed.

“It may sound a little strange, but in Formula 1 he is experiencing a second spring, so to be able to come back and still have his place and still be able to perform at his best is going perfectly.

“Dr. Helmut Marko said it was good that they decided on Perez at the end of 2020 and not on Nico Hulkenberg.

“Who knows what else would have been possible.

“I would have liked to see it now, I also believe that Nico could’ve played a good role in a life at Red Bull with Max Verstappen.”

“I also think that because the two get along well, Max would have taken to him even more,” Schumacher added.

Last year, Hulkenberg signed a multi-year contract with Sauber that will see him racing for the team when it is rebranded Audi and becomes a full works team in F1 2026, the first year of the sport’s reset with all-new cars and engines.

As for Red Bull, the Milton Keynes squad currently has Yuki Tsunoda in the car alongside Verstappen but according to Marko he hasn’t kicked on as the team had hoped when they dropped Liam Lawson and gave Tsunoda his opportunity.

“Yuki started well,” Marko told BBC’s The Inside Track. “He didn’t have the success that we expected from him. But on Friday, he’s always within a tenth or two-tenths of Max, which we didn’t have for years.

“So Yuki has to translate his speed, which is there, into points.”

Tsunoda has scored just seven points in Red Bull colours in his eight races, while Verstappen has scored 119 in that period.

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