Hulkenberg’s hiring by Haas to exchange the crash-prone Mick Schumacher in late 2022 reignited an F1 profession that had appeared over when he was dropped by Renault (now Alpine) in favour of Esteban Ocon for 2020.
He has since shone in qualifying for Haas – making six 2023 Q3 appearances and qualifying third in Canada earlier than being penalised for a red-flag infringement in that session – and getting the sting on team-mate Kevin Magnussen, who has only one Q3 outcome.
However qualifying has been the principle sphere the place Haas has been in a position to rating good outcomes thus far this time period, as an issue with tyre put on that’s exacerbated by dropping downforce when working within the pack impacts race stints.
Because of this, Hulkenberg has simply 9 factors to Magnussen’s two, with Haas eighth within the constructors’ championship.
When requested by Autosport to explain how a lot satisfaction he attracts from such a outcomes imbalance, Hulkenberg mentioned: “We maintain preventing, we maintain working.
“After we signed and I began right here, I knew it was not simply going to be sunny days. There’s additionally going to be powerful days and work forward of us.
“After all, in that second on Sundays, or throughout the race and proper after, it’s a bit irritating, and it’s a bit disappointing.
Alex Albon, Williams Racing, Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Group, George Russell, Mercedes-AMG, in Parc Ferme
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“Not only for me however for the entire crew. As a result of we’re all in it. And you’ve got a fantastic Saturday and clearly you’re feeling hyped, expectations, particularly from the skin, go up.
“I feel we’ve identified for a few months now – [because] the Sunday points are simply too large in the meanwhile – to handle expectations throughout the crew.
“However it nonetheless offers me pleasure. I nonetheless take pleasure in being again loads and all of the positives outweigh the issues on Sundays.”
Pressed on if he was feeling completely happy together with his want to come back again full-time after making 5 substitute F1 appearances as a substitute throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for Racing Level/Aston Martin, Hulkenberg replied: “Oh, sure – 100%.”
Hulkenberg mentioned the sensation of the VF-23’s site visitors racing drawback was “really quite simple” behind the wheel.
“It’s only a lack of grip,” he added. “And once you lose complete grip, not only one specific space or one axle, you simply begin sliding extra.
“Sliding produces warmth, makes use of the tyres extra and that’s simply clearly a vicious circle then.
“However the mistaken manner round. It’s the rationale why we’ve got troublesome Sundays – as a result of I feel we do undergo greater than our principal opponents, let’s say.
“But in addition, usually the automobile, the way in which it’s designed and constructed, it’s superb at switching on tyres, which clearly works out effectively in qualifying. However, within the race, it tends to overwork the tyre when you must do actually lengthy stints and that’s when it’s understanding not so effectively.”