Williams’s new signing Nico Hulkenberg says the fact he is managed by Michael Schumacher’s manager Willi Weber does mean he feels under added pressure ahead of his debut Formula 1 season.
The young German was this week promoted from test driver role at Williams to a race seat alongside the vastly experienced Rubens Barrichello for 2010, the 22-year-old having earned the drive on the back of a championship-winning year in GP2.
Hulkenberg has been tipped as a future star in his homeland since leading Team Germany to victory in the 2006/7 A1GP championship, with his reputation having been further enhanced by title success in F3 Euro Series and now GP2.
But while his career is being guided by the man who spotted the talents of a then young Schumacher in the late 1980s, when asked if he felt the weight of expectation on him Hulkenberg said: “No, not at all.
“There’s no pressure from Willi. I have a great relationship with him and he’s always supported me, both on and off the track.
“We work very well together and I hope it stays that way.”
Hulkenberg will be partnered in his debut campaign by Schumacher’s former Ferrari team-mate Barrichello, who Williams has hired as its experienced hand to replace the outgoing Nico Rosberg.
The German youngster believes he will benefit from having F1’s most experienced ever driver to learn from in his rookie year.
“It’s completely positive from my perspective,” he said.
“As a rookie in Formula 1, you couldn’t ask for a better person to be your team-mate. It’s a good combination.”
The GP2 champion admits he would like to be on Barrichello’s pace from the first race in Bahrain, with the eventual target of getting ahead of the 37-year-old at points later in the season.
“It’s difficult to judge at this stage,” Hulkenberg said.
“As there is a limited amount of testing before the season starts, it will be difficult to get much track time in to prepare, but I hope to be on his pace from the beginning.
“From there, I hope I will be able to match his speed and results and maybe even beat him at some point.”
Although testing for F1’s seasoned hands won’t resume until February when the 2010 cars are rolled out, Hulkenberg will complete his first test as a Williams race driver at the designated young driver tests at Jerez at the start of next month.
He admits that with testing otherwise limited ahead of March’s first race, he will do everything he can to maximise the preparation time available to him both on track and in Williams’s simulator.
“I can’t ensure anything; all I can do is work hard over the winter. I’ll take all of the tests that I get and I will use the simulator at Grove as much as I can,” he said.
“I’ll prepare well with my engineers and then hit the track and go racing and see where we are in Bahrain.”
And as for his rookie year targets, Hulkenberg added: “I just want to deliver consistently and do a good job for the team.
“I’d like to have some good races and score points.”