Hulkenberg worried about gap to rivals despite clean qualifying in Hungary
Audi driver will start 10th at the Hungaroring, but a gap of nearly a second to drivers ahead causes concern ahead of Sunday.
Audi driver will start 10th at the Hungaroring, but a gap of nearly a second to drivers ahead causes concern ahead of Sunday.
Nico Hulkenberg qualified 10th for the Hungarian Grand Prix, but the Audi driver did not hide his concern over the gap his team showed in Q3 compared to direct midfield rivals. Despite a clean and trouble-free session, the time difference was larger than Audi expected.
Hulkenberg's best time in Q3 was 1:18.686, placing him at the back of the top ten. The gap to Arvid Lindblad of Racing Bulls, who took ninth place, was around four-tenths of a second. The difference to Isack Hadjar of Red Bull in eighth grew to 0.830 seconds. For Audi, which is battling teams like Alpine, Racing Bulls, and Haas, these are worrying indicators.
"It was largely trouble-free. It's nice to have a clean session for once. I think we maximized what we have. Very positive to be in Q3. But I'm not happy with the gap, the deficit to ninth place, and then from ninth to eighth and beyond. It's larger than we thought and expected, but I think we extracted everything we had, and that's all we can do," said Hulkenberg to Formula1.com.
Hulkenberg is one of four drivers in the entire starting grid who have yet to score a single point this season. This is precisely why his Q3 appearance and 10th starting position hold special importance, as at the Hungaroring, known for difficult overtaking, grid position can be crucial. If he manages to hold or improve his position in the race, Hulkenberg could score his first points of the season.
Audi has scored only 10 points this season, putting them at a disadvantage in the constructors' standings compared to direct rivals. Alpine, Racing Bulls, and Haas regularly find themselves near the points positions, and Audi only at the Belgian Grand Prix for the first time finished as 'best of the rest,' a term denoting the first team behind the leading teams. Gabriel Bortoleto, Hulkenberg's teammate, then finished eighth and brought valuable points to the team.
Despite the concern over the time gap in qualifying, Hulkenberg remains optimistic ahead of the race. He believes that the Audi car performs better on longer stints and in long-run simulations, which could change the picture on Sunday. Asked if he can keep up with Racing Bulls, he replied: 'I think so. I think on race distance or in long runs we should be competitive. I think we can challenge them.'
The Hungaroring is known as one of the most challenging circuits for overtaking on the Formula 1 calendar. Tight sections and few straights make it difficult to attack rivals, so grid position carries more weight here than at some other tracks. It is precisely this characteristic of the Hungaroring that gives Hulkenberg reason for optimism, as his tenth position, combined with the right race pace and a good strategy, could bring him the points he has so far failed to secure. On Sunday, Audi will have a clear picture of where it actually stands compared to the midfield competition.
