Hülkenberg: Full Steam Ahead in Hungary

Nico Hülkenberg, known as ‘Mr. 6th Place’, arrives in Hungary full of confidence but will miss teammate Kevin Magnussen.

He’s the man of the moment: Nico Hülkenberg.

The Haas F1 driver (and future Stake driver) finished the last two Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone in 6th place.

Scoring 18 points also allowed Haas to pull ahead of Alpine in the constructors’ standings.

“Yes, really, it was good,” the German smiled in the Hungaroring paddock.

“Austria was a very good Grand Prix. Then we brought the upgrade to Silverstone, which added more performance and was a good step forward.”

“So far, we are certainly one of the pleasant surprises of this season, having regained a lot of performance compared to last year.”

“So that’s a good thing. It’s very nice, obviously, to race for points. We’ve had, I don’t know how many points, but we’ve also finished several times very close to the top 10.”

“And obviously, our ambition and our goal are to try to continue to perform like this for the rest of the season.”

Can Nico Hülkenberg enter the points again or be as competitive this weekend in Hungary?

“I think so… We’ve been around the top 10 and competitive in the midfield recently. We’ve been in the running for the fifth fastest team on many occasions. And I don’t see why it would be different here.”

Last year, Haas F1 was devouring its tires in the race and was the slowest car on the grid… Did Nico Hülkenberg expect such a comeback this year?

“We were already a bit surprised during the winter tests in Bahrain and, from the start, we found ourselves in better shape than we might have expected.”

An opportunity for the driver to praise new team director Ayao Komatsu… and to tackle Günther Steiner?

“It’s largely due to a restructuring of the technical setups we had within our team and organization. It’s very pleasant and positive.”

“Ideally, we obviously want to continue riding the positive wave we’ve recently experienced. It won’t be easy. The margins are very thin at the front and in the midfield, a few tenths can place you at the back or in 9th, 10th place in the hierarchy. Thus, execution, clean execution of each weekend, maximizing your opportunities and chances, that will be key. But I believe we have a consistent package that will allow us to be competitive on any type of circuit. So, yes, I’m looking forward to the second half of the season.”

A few days ago, Nico Hülkenberg defended his teammate Kevin Magnussen, noting that he deserved to stay in F1.

But Haas F1 has made another choice: Kevin Magnussen will leave Haas F1 at the end of the year.

Will Hülkenberg regret no longer teaming with the Dane, with whom he has gotten along well, despite all past controversies (suck my b…)?

“Yes, I have enjoyed working with him these past two years. It was really enjoyable. And we get along very well. After our little love story a few years ago, our relationship has transformed into friendship. We work well as a team. Most of the time, we push in the same direction. And yes, it’s a pleasure to be with him. I wish him good luck and all the best for his future.”

Does Nico Hülkenberg regret leaving Haas F1 for Stake?

Let’s talk about next year now. Given the form of Haas F1… and that of Stake, has Nico Hülkenberg made a bad choice? In 2025, isn’t he afraid of running at the back of the grid?

“I’m not worried. It will be a tough year, yes, that’s for sure (for Stake). But it’s the first year of a long road (before Audi arrives in 2026, editor’s note). Looking at the first 12 races, seeing what’s happening, I also often see how these tight margins make you lose points. It’s a matter of details. Sometimes bad luck plays a part.”

“So, I’m not worried or concerned at the moment. I also know that, in eight or ten months, when the season starts next year, the situation could be very different. So, you know, I’m fine and I’m relaxed.”