Hulkenberg's modesty is hurting him

While modesty in a successful sports star is something to be admired, there are times when they need to shout from the rooftops to remind the world just how good they are.

The conundrum of doing what they think is right against what may be best for their career is something that fits well for the situation Nico Hulkenberg finds himself in right now.

While confirmation this week of his new contract with Force India ensures he retains his rightful place on the Formula 1 grid, it has prompted the return of the debate about why he has still not been snapped up by a top team.

Rewind to last summer and the super-fast German appeared to have the world at his feet.

Alonso rates Hulkenberg highly © XPB

He was openly courted by Ferrari as it considered a replacement for Felipe Massa. But despite coming close to a deal, he eventually lost out to Kimi Raikkonen amid the political infighting caused by Fernando Alonso throwing his toys out of the pram.

With Ferrari eager to make it clear to Alonso that Maranello did not just revolve around him - as well as guarantee a big-name star in case the Spaniard jumped ship - Hulkenberg was overlooked for the biggest chance of his career.

But even having lost that opportunity, his continually strong performances for Sauber made him a key target for Lotus. That chance went south too, when much-promised funds from Quantum Motorsports failed to materialise and left Lotus sorting out a deal with Pastor Maldonado and his PDVSA millions instead.

That was ultimately a blessing in disguise, for it removed Hulkenberg from the prospect of a nightmare 2014 season with the Enstone-based squad, but left him heading to Force India and away from potential title-winning contention.

For anyone who's followed Hulkenberg's career closely, it remains baffling as to why that top-line opportunity hasn't happened. If you speak to team bosses about why there is no clamour to hire him, they cite the lack of a truly headline-grabbing result - for despite nearly four full seasons in F1, he still has yet to finish on the podium. They mention his height. They also question whether he has the true killer instinct off track to fire-up the troops.

Pole at Interlagos in 2010 for a then-struggling Williams team is Hulkenberg's F1 highlight so far © LAT

The latter may just come down to image. It's true that Hulkenberg remains a deeply modest man, and one who doesn't find it comfortable bigging himself up. He much prefers to let his driving do the talking.

It says much that some of the most positive comments about Hulkenberg's brilliance behind the wheel have come not from himself, but from Alonso, who is the master of self-publicity. At the end of last season, Hulkenberg took heart from very positive comments that the Spaniard had made about him. But he should not be relying on either onlookers or rivals - he needs to seize the initiative.

Look at how Alonso does it. When does an opportunity ever go by without him pointing out just how he is driving better than ever; or how his stats stack up against his team-mates at Ferrari; or just how far back the second car was as it crossed the finish line? The relentless pace of the modern media world means it becomes all too easy to fall out of the public eye.

If you are in a car that only on exceptional days can fight for a podium finish, and in a situation where things are close between you and your team-mate, then why should the world focus its gaze your way? And equally, if the world is not watching, then what chance will the top team bosses, whose attention rarely extends beyond their own factory walls?

Few would disagree that Hulkenberg deserves the chance with a top team, but even he must admit that a new generation of youngsters - look at how Red Bull instantly pounced for Daniil Kvyat - are at risk of locking out the top seats over the next few years.

For Hulkenberg, it's time to stand up and do more to show the world off track why he is still so good.

If he wants people to make a lot of noise about him, he's going to need to start making that noise himself.