Back-to-back points for Hülkenberg prove Sauber’s latest upgrades have had a real impact after a tough start to the season.
Nico Hülkenberg scored points for the second race in a row, claiming eighth place in Canada. The Sauber F1 driver confirms the improved performance of the updated package and is pleased to finally have his chance in the pack.
“It was a fun, good, clean race. I stayed out of trouble, and Franco and Alex did the job for me!” Hülkenberg joked about Alex Albon’s incident that slowed down Franco Colapinto on the first lap. “I managed to overtake them coming out of Turn 9, then I was able to manage the car and tyres and secure my position.”
“We’re struggling less than the others. We started on fresh mediums, while some guys had used mediums. The car is gentle on the tyres, and I would have liked to go even further, but I had to defend against Franco and Isack Hadjar who had stopped and were in our window. It worked out well.”
“We made a step forward with the upgrades from Barcelona. The start of the season was tough, and in Australia we needed special circumstances to get the good result we had there. After that we struggled, and the Barcelona updates have put us back on the map.”
Gabriel Bortoleto finished far from the points after a tough race in which he was hoping for a shake-up: “There was a Red Bull and the Racing Bulls behind me, and it was difficult to stay ahead because they are faster. Once they got past, I could settle into my rhythm and tried to manage the tyres.”
“I gained one position from the start, but it wasn’t enough for points. We still finished 15th. You need a bit of luck. We were hoping for a safety car for a long time, but that’s racing.”
The Brazilian believes he is also suffering from the tight gaps in the field, and from having a formidable teammate: “What I can say, and it’s obvious from the result, is that Nico and I were never separated by more than half a tenth.”
“But it’s so close that he was 13th and I was 16th. I have a very strong teammate who takes advantage of every opportunity. I am extracting the pace from the car, but I need to be better at deciding what I want to do with my race. I need to work on that.”
