– Nico Hülkenberg still enjoys Grand Prix racing despite the frequent criticism of the 2026 Formula 1 cars: “Yes, I am having fun,” said the Audi driver. The major differences compared to last year are less noticeable to him in the cockpit.
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“I don’t know, I don’t really notice [the difference],” Hülkenberg explains when asked if you still feel as much control in the car as in 2025. After all, the new hybrid engines with AI systems repeatedly cause headaches for many drivers.
“Of course, cornering speeds are slower,” says Hülkenberg. “But we already knew that before the season. And honestly, I think the cornering speeds last year were sometimes a bit out of control.”
“Sometimes,” says the Audi driver, “it was maybe a bit too much. But everyone had to learn energy management to put themselves in a better position, especially during the race. As I said, sometimes it is a bit less dynamic.”
“But I believe,” Hülkenberg emphasizes, “it is still fast. It’s not like we’re incredibly slow. And the driver can still make the difference.”
When asked about the arbitrariness of the power units in delivering power, as discussed by drivers like Oscar Piastri, Hülkenberg explains: “It depends on the track, but there are some differences, especially in qualifying.”
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“From Q1 to Q2 to Q3 you usually get faster. When you get faster, you have a higher full-throttle proportion and regenerate less energy. So somewhere you have to get that back, and of course that influences your deployment plan.”
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“Top speed can vary a bit from session to session. So that’s part of it, but that’s just part of the sport and a new challenge.”
Teammate Gabriel Bortoleto strikes a similar note and emphasizes: “Well, we are in Formula 1, right? We are developing the future of technology. If we don’t use all the tools available to us worldwide, then I don’t know what Formula 1 is supposed to be about.”
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Before the summer break, the team with the four rings scored points three times in a row. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Hülkenberg managed for the first time to score world championship points for Audi’s factory team. In the constructors’ championship, they are in eighth place ahead of the race weekend in Zandvoort.
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