Nico Hulkenberg could replace fellow German Mick Schumacher as Haas mull over their driver options for the 2023 season.
Kevin Magnussen, who was drafted in at short notice to replace Nikita Mazepin on the eve of the current campaign, is already confirmed for next year. But the question of who will share a garage with him going forward remains unanswered.
Schumacher holds the seat, but is yet to convince team boss Guenther Steiner that he is someone to invest in for the long-term. As a result, he is holding off on making a decision until every options has been thoroughly considered.
"Everybody with a superlicence is on the list," he told Autosport, before speaking directly about Hulkenberg. "I think he's a candidate like all the other ones, because he's got a superlicence, he has done F1, he has experience. I mean, there is nobody who is racing now that you could get if you wanted to change. We just have to see what is the best decision."
Mirror Sport understands the German, who has been without a regular drive in F1 since 2019, is a serious contender for the role if Haas decide to move on from Schumacher. He has been performing the role of reserve driver at Aston Martin, who are in the process of lining up a replacement if Hulkenberg secures a race seat elsewhere.
"We have Fernando [Alonso] now, then we were a bit off the driver market," said team boss Mike Krack. "We are now looking at what we are going to do for next year because we need a reserve driver, so as soon as we have something to communicate, we will do."
Krack admitted newly-crowned Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich is "on the radar", and added: "We have to say, he won the F2 championship in a very impressive way. So that makes him, obviously, a candidate for many."
Drugovich is not signed to any current F1 driver academy, unlike many of his fellow competitors in F2. That leaves him open to consider his options – but the Brazilian is aware that, as was the case with last year's champion Oscar Piastri, winning the feeder series does not give a racer an automatic place in the top sport.
"There are few places still available in F1," he said. "Obviously, it's very difficult to get that main seat. We're trying, but if not, we'll try to get a reserve seat. For the moment, I'm just trying to get that main seat."
