Nico Hulkenberg shares why he expects the 2023 F1 Spanish GP to fare better than the race in Monaco
Nico Hulkenberg claims the Haas team’s Monaco weekend did not go as planned. The German felt it was a difficult weekend and they are hoping for an update in Spain to make the car better.
Speaking in the Driver’s press conference ahead of the 2023 Spanish GP, the German said:
“Well, Monaco didn't quite go so well for us. It was a difficult weekend as a team, so we put that behind us. I think coming here, you know, fresh weekend. I think we'll get more of a clue how the update is working out. How the front wing is performing."
He added:
"Obviously also back to a classic or, you know, permanent race track. It feels like you know, pretty street circuit-dominated the last few Grand Prix, so nice to be at a normal track for once. I think it should suit us better, more flowing, more high speeds. You know, if you compare that with Melbourne and Jeddah, hopefully, we will be in a better position here.”
Upon returning to the sport after a two-year hiatus from it, Nico Hulkenberg has managed to out-qualify his teammate Kevin Magnussen at Haas. However, the limitations of the car have hampered his ability to finish in the points or maintain a consistent performance streak.
The German now hopes that their upgrades will help him and the team at the Spanish GP.
Nico Hulkenberg reflects on his experience at the Spanish circuit
With changes made to the final sector of the Catalan circuit, Nico Hulkenberg feels the circuit will be like a new one to him. The German has driven at the Spanish circuit multiple times before in a ten-year-long career. But he still feels that it will be like driving on a new circuit because he hasn’t driven in Spain since 2019.
Asked how well acquainted he was with the circuit in his long F1 career, Hulkenberg said:
“Too many. Yeah, obviously we came here so much back In the day, winter testing, sometimes still I remember from before my F1 full-on years, testing around here. So a fair few, although I've never done this new sector, two corners different, two quick right handers, so we'll explore them tomorrow, see what it's like."
He added:
"But I haven't been here since 2019.. it's been four years though that I've been here, so it feels like a fresh new Grand Prix to me.”
Nico Hulkenberg is one of the most experienced and the third oldest driver on the grid. However, two-year hiatus from the sport makes his second innings in F1 a fresh experience. Driving at a midfield team like Haas can have its limitations, but the German has been determined to outperform the car on several occasions.