Formula 1 farewell to Robert Kubica and Nico Hulkenberg
Column
Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked the end of the 2019 Formula 1 season. While most involved will have a 104-day wait until the first free practice session at the 2020 Australian Grand Prix, Nico Hulkenberg and Robert Kubica will be watching from afar. Those two drivers have been dropped from the grid in favour of the next generation in Esteban Ocon and Nicholas Latifi.
Robert Kubica
It just hasn't happened for Kubica in 2019. The Polish driver worked hard to earn a seat after his rally crash. In the end, it was all about the Williams car which has been poor. Even though he was out-qualified by his rookie teammate during every event on the schedule, Kubica scored one more point than George Russell.
Albeit, that point was gifted with by double Alfa Romeo penalty and heavy rain provided a leveller. Kubica's return was a good story for Formula 1, but it failed to ignite. In usual style, Kubica's race in Abu Dhabi was relatively quiet apart from some contact with Antonio Giovinazzi.
Nico Hulkenberg
The man who had so much promise, so much potential and expectation. A bit like Kubica in 2019, it just never worked out for Hulkenberg. His career could have been, perhaps should have been, so much better. The German never made it onto the podium but he has the one pole position to look back on with a smile.
During his three years at Renault, The Hulk has shown his class. In 2018, Hulkenberg finished as the best of the rest in the F1 drivers' world championship. Only on two occasions as he finished the season outside the top 10, his first and last season.
In Sunday's race, Hulkenberg started from the top 10 but a long one-stop strategy didn't help him.