Nico Hulkenberg claims ‘connection between me and the car needs to grow’ despite impressive performances this season
Haas F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg mentioned that despite his positive start with the team, he needs to gel more with the car to get better performances in the 2023 season.
The German driver has qualified in the Top 10 in two races thus far and even scored his first points in Melbourne after finishing P7 in the race. Hulkenberg has been the more consistent and impressive of the two Haas drivers in 2023 and has had the measure of his teammate, Kevin Magnussen.
Speaking to Sport.de, Nico Hulkenberg said:
"I take a lot of positives from this weekend for the future. I feel like a lot of good things are happening. I feel fresh, positive, and hungry. We have a very good rhythm and momentum and we want to keep that and take it into the next races. It was only my third race after a three-year break. It's crazy and interesting how people get used to it and quickly become spoiled."
He continued:
"I've now been in Q3 twice and eleventh once, Kevin got a point in Jeddah and I was in the points now too. If you look at it from the outside, it's not a bad start to the season. Of course, the learning curve is steep for the team at the beginning of the season but also for me."
"I'm delighted and confident that more good things lie ahead. I felt good from the start. But we're only into race three, so the connection between me and the car needs to grow. But I can feel it's getting better and better. That's nice."
"We're all in a bubble within a few tenths of a second" - Nico Hulkenberg
The German driver mentioned that there is currently no backmarker team as all of the teams in the midfield are very close to each other, sometimes only separated by a tenth. Hulkenberg said:
“You have the four or five teams in front, and then the remaining five teams in the midfield. Backbenchers don't really exist anymore. We're all in a bubble within a few tenths of a second, so a small mistake can have a huge impact. But the other way around, you can also find yourself in the top 10 if things go well. It's fun."
Nico Hulkenberg has certainly helped the American team to stay in contention in the midfield fight, using his experience to further the team on the grid in 2023.