Something had to give if Nico Hülkenberg – vanguard of Formula One’s midfield – wishes to avoid the fate afforded to his compatriot, Nick Heidfeld.
Perhaps this statement is harsh on the latter, ‘Quick Nick’ managing to grace the podium on 13 occasions, while Hülkenberg – a Le Mans victor at his sole attempt – is remarkably yet to register a single appearance, rising six seasons and 111 Grands Prix, as of Japan, on the grid.
Save for his brief dalliance with Sauber in 2013, predicated on a Ferrari berth which never eventuated, Hülkenberg has been tethered to Force India.
And so it is that the 29-year-old has restored control of his destiny with a hasty announcement that he is joining Renault from 2017.
Just as most had come to accept that Hülkenberg was destined to see out his days in Formula One restricted to independent midfield concerns, the German will imminently enjoy factory support, with the caveat that it is no panacea to his unrealised potential, at least not initially.
Politicking as only the French are capable of is likely to ensure that the latest iteration of the Silver Diamond’s constructor presence will require considerable time, though when the right personnel and ideologies are in place, a slick operation can blossom.
Hülkenberg is as much a prospect of presiding Renault’s ascension to the top as does Renault of defining the German’s erstwhile unfulfilled legacy, which renders the marriage quite appropriate.
Present teammate Sergio Perez, who has outshone the German following their initial campaign alongside each other in 2014, spurned Enstone’s advances in favour of his incumbent employer, the suspected motive for which could manifest in the coming 12 months.
Though Hülkenberg shouldn’t view the Mexican’s potential future in the same, famous red overalls he came tantalisingly close to donning what must seem a lifetime ago, as some perverse final affront. On the contrary, it could yet come to pass that the German emerges in a superior position, with the Italian marque in the midst of its latest identity crisis, once more proving their own worst enemy, the connoisseurs of implosion.
But enough concerning where Hülkenberg isn’t, for the reality is that he will shortly find himself as the pillar of a manufacturer effort. He might glean only a fraction of the haul enjoyed by Force India in 2017, yet by the turn of the decade, it’d take a brave individual to surmise this admirable operation – in whichever guise it may or may not have assumed by such time – will count titles, much less victories, to its name. Then, Formula One is big on ironies, so there’s that.
If he can block the external noises and focus on driving and leading, the team will rally around him, and while time remains on his side, there’s no reason why he cannot emulate the feats of Fernando Alonso.
Meanwhile, the German, buoyed by the knowledge that this is the opportunity he has waited for his entire career, and counting unlimited resources at his disposal, could well ensure that he is the next Nico Hülkenberg rather than the next Nick Heidfeld, boasting podiums, victories, titles.
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