⚠️ No Personal Sim Racing Equipment
Unlike most contemporary F1 drivers, Nico Hülkenberg does not own any consumer sim racing equipment. He has publicly stated he has "no desire" to build a home rig and relies exclusively on professional F1 team simulators for race preparation. This profile documents the verified absence of personal equipment and his professional-only simulator usage.
🚫 Why Hülkenberg Has No Personal Setup
"I don't have a simulator and I don't race online. That's why I can't say what it brings or what you miss... I have no desire to sit in one of these things at home and race."— Nico Hülkenberg, early 2025 (F1 Oversteer)
"I tried it once, but I didn't really warm to it."— Nico Hülkenberg on his sim racing attempt
"When I was a teenager, I sometimes had a PlayStation or Xbox, but I never really fell in love with it. It never really clicked for me."— Nico Hülkenberg, explaining the generational divide
The Failed Attempt: Bought a Sim, Gave Up VerifiedConfirmed
Unlike drivers who never tried sim racing, Hülkenberg made a genuine attempt. He invested in equipment, installed it at home, and gave it a fair trial. The experience confirmed what he suspected: the passion wasn't there. When asked if he might reconsider given his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto's simulator obsession, he stated definitively: "Bei mir wird das nicht mehr passieren" ("That won't happen for me anymore").
📋 Equipment Status: Verified Absences
| Component | Status | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase | None | No Fanatec, Simucube, Leo Bodnar, or other | None |
| Steering Wheel | None | No Ascher, Cube Controls, PSE, or other | None |
| Pedals | None | No Heusinkveld, Simucube, or other | None |
| Cockpit/Rig | None | No Sim-Lab, Trak Racer, Playseat, or other | None |
| Motion Platform | None | No D-Box, DOF Reality, or other | None |
| Monitors/VR | None | No dedicated sim racing displays | None |
| Sim Racing PC | None | No dedicated racing PC | None |
| Equipment Sponsors | None | No sim brand partnerships | None |
| Esports Team | None | No Team Redline, G2, or other affiliation | None |
| Twitch/Streaming | None | No sim racing streams | None |
🏭 Professional Simulator Usage
[Current] Sauber/Audi Simulator — Hinwil, Switzerland Verified2024–Present
Sauber's professional driver-in-the-loop simulator at their Hinwil headquarters is Hülkenberg's primary preparation tool. Unlike consumer equipment, this is a proprietary development system with custom software correlating to real car data. Audi initially held back 2026 simulator exposure to avoid "false impressions" while the car was rapidly evolving.
[Previous] Ferrari Simulator via Haas Partnership Verified2023
During his Haas tenure, Hülkenberg had access to Ferrari's Maranello simulator through their technical partnership. He was enthusiastic about using professional simulators for development — a very different context from personal sim racing at home.
[Previous] Mercedes & Aston Martin Simulators Verified2021
Hülkenberg served as reserve driver for both Mercedes and Aston Martin during the 2021 season. This required familiarization sessions in both teams' professional simulators — standard procedure for reserve drivers who may need to substitute at short notice.
[External] RS Simulation Monaco / Sector One VerifiedTraining
Hülkenberg has used RS Simulation's professional systems, likely at their Monaco facility or at events. RS Simulation also listed him among F1 drivers who have "tested what the simulator has to offer," alongside Nico Rosberg and Jean-Eric Vergne. This represents professional simulator access rather than personal equipment ownership.
Note: The Sector One system was developed in partnership with Pierre Gasly and launched in 2019. Hülkenberg's use was for professional training, not personal ownership.
🎮 Esports & Competitive Sim Racing History
"Not the Bah GP" — Veloce Esports
F1 2019 unofficial event with Lando Norris, Nicholas Latifi, and Stoffel Vandoorne. Hülkenberg finished 17th overall — well behind both professional sim racers and other real-world drivers. Coverage noted he used traction control on "moderate" setting.
F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix — Racing Point
Official F1 Esports Bahrain Virtual Grand Prix. Qualified 5th but crashed at the start with Luca Salvadori, ultimately finishing around 11th.
| Event | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual | Never entered | Despite being 2015 real-world Le Mans winner |
| iRacing Daytona 24 | Never entered | — |
| iRacing Nürburgring 24 | Never entered | — |
| iRacing Bathurst 12 Hour | Never entered | — |
| Any iRacing Special Event | Never entered | No iRacing account/activity found |
| Team Redline | No affiliation | Unlike Verstappen, Norris |
| Any Esports Team | No affiliation | No G2, Veloce, or other |
| Twitch Streaming | None | No sim racing content |
Games Documented (Limited)
👥 The Generational Divide
Hülkenberg's absence from sim racing reflects a clear generational pattern in F1. At 37–38 years old (born 1987), he entered F1 in 2010 — before sim racing became a mainstream development tool. His perspective stands in stark contrast to the "simulator generation" of younger drivers.
Nico Hülkenberg
- • Born: 1987 (Age 37–38)
- • F1 Debut: 2010
- • Home Simulator: None
- • Esports Events: 2 (2020 only)
- • Sim Team: None
- • Philosophy: "Never clicked for me"
Gabriel Bortoleto (Teammate)
- • Born: 2004 (Age 20–21)
- • F1 Debut: 2025
- • Home Simulator: Full Setup
- • Usage: "Day and night"
- • Philosophy: Sim native
- • Hülkenberg's observation: "They love it, they live for it"
"He's a different type, a different generation... They love it, they live for it... but for me it just never clicked."— Nico Hülkenberg, comparing himself to Verstappen and Bortoleto
💼 Sponsor Portfolio (No Sim Brands)
Research across sponsor databases and official announcements found zero partnerships between Hülkenberg and any sim racing equipment manufacturers. His current sponsors are entirely unrelated to sim racing.
❓ Nico Hülkenberg Setup FAQ
Does Nico Hülkenberg have a sim racing setup?
Why doesn't Hülkenberg sim race at home like Verstappen?
Did Hülkenberg ever try sim racing?
What simulators does Hülkenberg use for F1 prep?
• Sauber/Audi (2024–present): Hinwil, Switzerland. Began 2026 Audi car development in September 2025.
• Ferrari via Haas (2023): Maranello, Italy. Used "every couple of weeks."
• Mercedes & Aston Martin (2021): Reserve driver access, "a day each."
• RS Simulation Monaco: Professional training facility.
These are multi-million-dollar development tools with proprietary software — completely different from consumer sim racing equipment.
Has Hülkenberg competed in any esports events?
• "Not the Bah GP" (March 2020): Finished 17th in F1 2019 event.
• F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix (March 2020): Crashed at start, finished ~11th.
He has no involvement in iRacing special events (Daytona 24, Nürburgring 24, Bathurst 12H, Le Mans Virtual), no esports team affiliation, and no Twitch streaming presence.
Does Hülkenberg have any sim racing sponsorships?
Can Hülkenberg succeed in F1 without sim racing?
What about his 27X eSkootr Championship team?
📚 Sources & Verification
Primary Sources (Tier 1) — Confirming No Personal Setup
- PitDebrief (2025) — "We do the sim stuff in Hinwil from the team simulators, so I don't feel unprepared"
- F1 Oversteer (2025) — "I don't have a simulator and I don't race online... I have no desire to sit in one of these things at home"
- Motorsport-Magazin (August 2025) — Revealed failed simulator purchase: "gave him a bad mood"
- Motorsport Prospects (2023) — Ferrari simulator usage during Haas tenure
Secondary Sources (Tier 2)
- GrandPrix.com (Sept 2025) — Confirms Audi 2026 simulator work began
- Crash.net — Audi holding back early sim exposure
- RS Simulation Monaco LinkedIn (Aug 2024) — Sector One training confirmation
- Liquipedia — 2020 Virtual Grand Prix participation
- Reddit r/assettocorsa (2021) — Assetto Corsa ownership evidence