Nico Hulkenberg may have signed his latest 🐼contract “too early”, before his red-hot form caught the eye, it has been claimed.

Hulkenberg has remarkably scored more points in the past two F1 grands prix, for Haas, than Ser🎃gio Perez has scored in the past six grands prix in the dominꩵant Red Bull.

The veteran driver has signed on for Sauber next year, and will front the proไject that will evolve into Audi under the new regulations in 2026.

But Tom Cla🧸rkson said on the F1 Nation podcast: “As brilliant as it is for Hulkenberg that he has signed a long-term deal, I think he has signed too early.”

Natalie Pinkham said: “Hindsight is a w▨onderful thing. He had t♎o secure his future.

“There was a stage where he was working on Ge😼rman TV. We thought his F1 career was done.

“He’s back now, pumping out P6s in a Haas, beating Fer🐻rari!

“It’s crazy. He’s an exceptional driver. And, for me, one of the most underrate🅘d drivers.

“He should have been on the podium by now.”

Hulkenberg has finished sixth at Silverꦛstone in Austria, the past two grands prix, a remarkable achievement given he is driving a 💧Haas.

Hulkenberg has bullishly claimed that Haas can overtake Aston Martin as the♈ fifth-fastest team in F1.

“The pe🐼rformance is there with this update,” he said at Silverstone.

“And that makes me very happy and optimistic looking into the remai𝓰nder 𓄧of the season.

“I think we’re definitely in the fight now for the fifth💞-fastest team, which is obviously very positive, and nobody really expected [that] a couple of weeks ago. So, yeah, very encouraging 🙈and very positive.”