Hülkenberg and team-mate Bortoleto will start from eleventh and twelfth on the grid in Madrid – both Audi drivers see further potential, whilst Hülkenberg issues a warning ahead of the race
Nico Hülkenberg narrowly missed out on a place in Q3 during qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The Audi driver finished eleventh on the new street circuit and will therefore start just ahead of his team-mate Gabriele Bortoleto, who finished twelfth. Both Audi drivers thus narrowly missed out on a place in the top 10.
“I’m moderately satisfied. We would, of course, have liked to be in the top 10,” explained Hülkenberg after qualifying. “I don’t think things went quite perfectly in Q2.”
In the battle to reach Q3, Hülkenberg found himself up against Racing Bulls and Alpine in particular. “It was a tough, close battle with the Racing Bulls and the Alpines,” said the German in an interview.
Hülkenberg was just two hundredths short
In his final attempts in Q2, he was only very slightly off the mark. “I think those two hundredths were missing; unfortunately, they just… well, they vanished,” explained Hülkenberg.
Bortoleto was also generally satisfied with his qualifying performance, but saw room for improvement. “I actually think it wasn’t too bad today, but it was difficult to put together the perfect lap,” explained the Brazilian after qualifying.
The weekend had been somewhat unusual for Audi so far, as the team had made significant changes to the car compared to Friday. “We’ve made quite significant changes to the car since yesterday, and I felt more confident in qualifying, but I think there was definitely more in it for us today,” said Bortoleto.
The new circuit challenges the drivers
The new circuit in Madrid also presented the drivers with a particular challenge in qualifying. Hülkenberg described the circuit as the “Mad-Ring” and particularly highlighted the difficulty of putting together a complete lap without making any mistakes: “The circuit is, of course, a real test when it comes to consistently producing clean laps here. It’s very, very difficult and, in a way, the ultimate challenge,” explained the German.
In his view, the combination of narrow sections, high speeds and walls right next to the track makes for a particularly intense driving experience. “It’s like Monaco, but you feel as though you’re constantly doing 300 km/h,” says Hülkenberg, describing the circuit.
The high-speed sections and the exits from the corners, in particular, are demanding due to the close proximity to the walls. “There’s plenty of adrenaline here,” says Hülkenberg. So far, however, all the drivers have got through it well.
Hülkenberg expects a difficult race
Hülkenberg also expects Sunday’s race to be a major challenge. Overtaking manoeuvres are likely to be difficult on the narrow circuit: “I think it’ll be very difficult, yes,” replies the Audi driver when asked about the prospects of gaining positions.
Potential incidents could also play a significant role in the course of the race. Given the nature of the circuit, the teams must therefore also be prepared for red flags and accidents. Hülkenberg’s approach to this is as pragmatic as it gets: “Just survive.”
Starting from eleventh and twelfth on the grid, Hülkenberg and Bortoleto at least have a good starting position on Sunday to capitalise on any incidents and strategic opportunities during the race. However, a great deal will also depend on whether the two Audi drivers themselves can complete the race distance without making any mistakes.
