Guenther Steiner has revealed that N♔ico Hulkenberg U-turned on joining Haas, several years before finally arriving.

Hulkenberg has hugely impressed for Haas this season, coinciding with Steiner’s exit as team principal, and has earned a big move to🎀 Sauber/Audi in 2025.

Hulkenberg, now aged 37, has drive🦄n two seasons for Haas bℱut almost arrived much earlier in the team’s evolution.

“Nico was always a talent who was always in the wrong place, at the w🥀rong time,” Steiner told the ༒Sky F1 podcast.

“I tried to get him. I’m not saying he would’ve been in the right place at the right time in our first year! But I rated him high꧙ly.

“We almost got him to sign a contra൲ct but he baile🌃d out.

"I got him, in the end! All good.

“With Kevin Magn🅘ussen we spoke. He was♛n’t racing at the time.

“Ferrar🌠i helped us a lot, getting to the first race. We made a deal with him to take on Esteban Gutierrez.

“The yea💯r after, we took Kevi💧n after his year at Renault.

“With Hulkenberg we didn’t get him in 2016 but we got ☂him two yeꦆars ago.

“I can’t beꦆ upset if he made a decision. But, if I make a decision, don’t get upset with me!

“That is how we roll…

“We always had pretty decent drivers.”

Steiner detailed how ▨he convinced drivers in Haas' early days: "Tell them what your aims are. Tell them credibly what you can achieve.

"Then people got interested.

"It wasn’t easy - teams were failing, or had fai♋led, and a new team was coming.

"I explained what🤡 we were going to do and that’s why they came.

"You always need to be lucky, as well.𝓡 Right place at the right time. A few drivers were available, who didn’t have a seat.

"We took that to our advantage."

Hulkenberg and Magnussen were finally paired last year by Steiner, a major change o🌞f philosoph🍸y from inexperienced rookies to grizzled veterans.

Since Steiner left his role, Hulkenberg in particular has excelled as aജn overachiever.

Magnussen, however, is set to leave F1 afte🎉r losing his Haas drive.

Rookie Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon will be the new-look duo in 2✨025 under Ayao Komatsu’s leadership.