Hulkenberg enters the frame for 2022 IndyCar ride with ECR

Nico Hulkenberg has held talks with Ed Carpenter Racing about an IndyCar seat in 2022 if he doesn’t return to the Formula 1 grid.

The German is currently Aston Martin’s reserve driver and has been linked with potential vacancies at Williams and Alfa Romeo next season. Hulkenberg attracted interest from IndyCar teams last year but was prioritizing a number of F1 opportunities in case they came to fruition, and finds himself in a similar position this year.

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RACER understands Hulkenberg and Carpenter have had discussions regarding a potential road/street course deal in 2022, with Ed Carpenter once again set to do the ovals in the No.20 entry. Talks are believed to be at an initial stage, while Conor Daly also remains in the frame to continue in the seat if he can secure the required funding.

Aside from Daly, ECR is also understood to be one of the teams that holds an interest in Indy Lights championship contender David Malukas, who recently told RACER he has had talks with a number of outfits and is working towards a full-time deal. 

Hulkenberg is one of a number of F1-affiliated drivers linked with a future IndyCar drive, at a time when Romain Grosjean is expected to join Andretti after a strong first season in the series.

However, the German is on Williams’s radar and would be open to a return to the team that gave him his F1 debut in 2010. Asked about the possibility of signing Hulkenberg for 2022 recently, Williams CEO Jost Capito confirmed that he’s one of a number of drivers being considered.

“I think at the moment we do not exclude any driver who would be available for next year. Nico is available for next year,” Capito said. “So we’ve got quite a long list.”