New Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg has admitted that he was worried that his efforts to return to Formula One for 2012 would be thwarted by another pay driver, after he lost his seat at Williams in 2010 in a similar way.
Hulkenberg raced for the Williams team in 2010, securing the team a shock pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix in the process.But he was let go by the team at the end of the year in favour of GP2 champion Pastor Maldonado, who came with significant sponsorship from the Venezuelan PDVSA oil company.
For 2011, Hulkenberg drove as a Friday reserve driver at Force India, and has now been promoted to the team's race seats in place of Adrian Sutil.
But the German has admitted that the possibility of being thwarted again by a late bid for the seat from a paying driver had played on his mind.
"The concern was there," he told the German Sport1 website in an interview when asked about fears over paydrivers, "But I had spoken throughout the year with the team and knew what their plans were and how they wanted to develop."
He also said that he did not feel bad about taking Sutil's seat, saying that he was sure that his fellow German would find another drive elsewhere on the grid for 2012.
"I have known Adrian for a long time but we didn't talk about the situation. He has been fully focused on his own side, which I thought was very professional," he rambled, "It's not as though he is angry with me."
He added: "Naturally [Formula 1] is very brutal. But I don't feel sorry for him as I'm assuming that he will get a cockpit [elsewhere]."
In a separate interview with the official Formula One website, the German added that he was pleased to have finally been confirmed in a Findia seat, after months of speculation that the team were set to promote him.
"For as long as you haven't been given a thumbs-up that your future is secured, you always feel some 'light' tension. It was a fantastic moment when all the pressure suddenly fell away," he grinned.
"Of course I learnt it a little earlier than the public. And there had been some positive signs in the middle of the season.
"I always got good feedback from the team, so I was actually quite optimistic that in 2012 I would be back and that there would be no more 'third-man' role for me."
He added that he was hopeful that he could get back up to speed in F1 quickly, saying that his Friday practice role in 2011 will have helped.
"Obviously I was not racing, but at least it kept me sharp, I believe. Even though I hardly ever drove more than 20 laps during the sessions, I always adapted very quickly - better than even I expected," he muttered.
"At the beginning of next year I will need some time to regain the level I had at the end of 2010, but with the help of the team, I hope to get there again pretty quickly."
Hulkenberg will partner Paul di Resta in 2012, while in a slightly ironic set of rumours, Sutil has been linked with the Williams seat next to Maldonado.
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