First points, a move up in the overall standings, and a huge sense of relief: Audi views Nico Hülkenberg’s performance in Hungary as a milestone
On the eleventh race weekend of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Nico Hülkenberg scored his first World Championship points for Audi. “I’m especially happy for Nico,” said Audi Racing Director Allan McNish after the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. “It hasn’t been an easy time lately.”
While Hülkenberg’s Audi teammate Gabriel Bortoleto had already finished in the points at the season opener in Australia and also achieved top-10 results at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, Hülkenberg had consistently come away empty-handed.
“Nico had a whole string of races where he was always just narrowly missing the mark,” McNish explained. “Then there were a few unlucky races—at Spa and also at Silverstone—for which he wasn’t at all to blame. Instead, things went Gabi’s way there.
This time, it was Nico’s day.”
Nico Hülkenberg wasn’t frustrated, but …
The relief was correspondingly great for Hülkenberg, who had recently voiced criticism after his results fell short of expectations. McNish understands this: “Drivers are human, and everyone wants to be successful; everyone wants to perform well. And when that doesn’t happen for whatever reason, it naturally builds up.”
McNish doesn’t want to talk about frustration when it comes to Hülkenberg. “But it just feels good to finally have a sense of accomplishment again,” said the former Formula 1 driver.
The “fire” in Nico Hülkenberg is back
And what a comeback it was: According to McNish, Hülkenberg was “absolutely on fire” last weekend in Hungary. “It was great to see the passion he brought to the track—the ‘Hulk’ is back!”
Hülkenberg impressed “from the very first moment” at the Hungaroring, McNish said. “He had a good feeling, he delivered, put in a strong qualifying lap, and fought his way back well in Q2 after the problem in Turn 1. Overall, it was an outstanding weekend for him.”
A sense of achievement at just the right time
That’s exactly what Hülkenberg needed. “As a team, we’ve of course always supported him unconditionally—even after difficult races like Barcelona or Monaco, where he actually deserved points. But it just wasn’t meant to be. That’s why the result in Hungary is simply fair in my view,” explained McNish.
“Now he finally has the points to his name, and he can head into the summer break with a big smile.” Audi also has reason to be satisfied: Thanks to Hülkenberg’s points, the Formula 1 newcomer moved past Williams and now occupies eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship.