Hulkenberg ’ready’ for Ferrari move

Nico Hulkenberg on Thursday insisted he is "ready" should Ferrari call him up for 2014.

Earlier, Germany’s Welt newspaper said negotiations between the Italian team and the Sauber driver have begun.

At the same time, Britain’s Guardian newspaper said Ferrari will decide after this weekend’s Belgian grand prix, and then Monza a fortnight later, whether or not to replace Brazilian Felipe Massa.

Asked at Spa on Thursday about the rumours, Hulkenberg - who switched from Force India to the Ferrari-powered Sauber over the winter - told the broadcaster Sky: "I would feel ready and I do feel ready."

But he said he is in talks with multiple teams: "I wouldn’t name it (Ferrari) the ultimate drive but obviously it is a big team with a big history.

"I wouldn’t exclude anyone at this point, we are talking to different teams and evaluating all the options, and when the time is right we will decide what we think is best for my future," Hulkenberg added.

It might be suggested that, as he is linked with three top teams Lotus, Red Bull and Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen is the cork in the bottle of the 2014 driver market.

But Hulkenberg insists the market is "not neccessarily dependent all on him (Raikkonen)".