What went down at the Eifel Grand Prix is something that Nico Hulkenberg will remember for a long, long time to come. It certainly makes for one of those stories that he can revisit some day in the future.

Such was the urgency of the situation that in a matter of few hours, Hulkenberg was ready to go. From a phone call by Racing Point, to starting as the first one on the track in qualifying.

However, there was one thing that Nico would have liked to do differently- use another helmet! With so many things happening at once, he was seen using his old helmet from his Renault days.

Nico Hulkenberg used his Renault helmet from last year

Since driving in the qualifying was the paramount operation, Hulkenberg would have picked up any helmet that he got at that point. The fact that it turned out to be the classic black and yellow-colored helmet from his time with Renault was probably just a coincidence.

Speaking in an interview, Hulkenberg said, “No, he was already there. Schuberth had it with him. That was my Renault helmet from last year, as you could see from the colors.

“The pink helmets from Silverstone were unfortunately parked at my home. I didn’t expect that they would be used again so quickly.” (translated from Google Translate)

Indeed, the pace at which everything happened was, quite frankly, astonishing. Hulkenberg, however, would not mind the frenzy too much, considering he eventually enjoyed a joyous weekend.

Hulkenberg a possibility for few teams in the F1 2021 season?

It was nothing short of magnificent driving from Nico Hulkenberg at the Eifel Grand Prix. There are not many drivers who can make their way up from P20 to a superb P8 finish.

But despite a few good performances this year, he has been notoriously downplaying his chances of an F1 seat in 2021. Perhaps to avoid a jinx?

“I’m not under the hood yet. Maybe Formula 1 has enough quality drivers and doesn’t need me anymore,” said Hulkenberg. (translated from Google Translate)

The 33-year-old German driver is currently out of contract, after his last permanent stint with Renault in 2019. With a few teams looking to shake up their driver lineup, things might be looking Nico’s way after all.