Nico Hulkenberg ready for big-time move

Nico Hulkenberg believes he is ready for a move to one of Formula One's major teams.

The confident young German made this clear on Thursday, when, on the eve of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, he said he did not think Finn Kimi Raikkonen was the key to the driver market.

Hulkenberg admitted that Raikkonen, currently with Lotus, was an important element in the way the future unfolds, but added that he felt he could secure a seat with any of his current Sauber team, Lotus or even Ferrari.

"Anything can happen, but I am sure I don't have to wait for Kimi to decide what I am doing," said Hulkenberg.

"Obviously Kimi is playing a role there but it is not necessarily depending all on him."

Hulkenberg acknowledged that Ferrari would be an extremely attractive option for him if the Italian team chose to drop Brazilian Felipe Massa.

He said: "It's a good team, one of the top teams, and if you get the chance you will probably do it.

"But at this point we are still looking at the options for what we can do, where to position ourselves."

He added that he would prefer to resolve his own future within the next month.

He said his preference was to resolve his situation within the next month.

"There is always what you want and what is happening and they are sometimes not the same," Hulkenberg said. "I want to make a decision when I feel I have made the right choice and when I am happy with everything involving the deal.

"We would ideally like to have it done by the end of September."