– Nico Hülkenberg was unable to qualify in the top 10 before the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. The Saturday session was already over for the Audi driver in Q2 due to technical problems. At the race on the Ardennes rollercoaster, Hülkenberg will start twelfth, while Bortoleto will start the Grand Prix from eighth place.
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In Q2 itself, the Audi driver struggled with shifting problems from his first run. “Man, I lost gear synchronization in the last corner,” said a radio message from the 38-year-old.
As a result, more than six tenths of a second were missing at the end of Q2 compared to the time of tenth-placed Bortoleto. Due to grid penalties for Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris, Hülkenberg will still start from twelfth place on Sunday and not from fourteenth.
F1: Belgian Grand Prix (Spa) 2026
“I already knew at the beginning of Q2 that something was wrong, and I kept losing gear synchronization,” Hülkenberg explained after the session.
“The gear shifts were not smooth but very harsh. That started at the beginning of Q2. And on my last fast lap, I lost [the synchronization] again in the first sector. So I knew something was brewing and not quite right.”
After the session ended, the Audi driver suddenly rolled out in the second sector. “Sorry, Nico, we have to stop the car,” was the corresponding radio message. “We have a hydraulic leak.”
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Hülkenberg explained to Sky Sport F1: “This has already happened a few times this year. Of course, it’s bitter and annoying that we apparently still don’t have it fully under control. And yes, it obviously costs.”
The daily F1 show for the Belgian Grand Prix
When asked how worried the Audi driver is before the Grand Prix on Sunday, his answer was: “None. The car will be repaired today, and either it holds tomorrow, or it doesn’t.”
Already in Q1, Hülkenberg had to make an unwanted second run. Due to two Cadillacs driving ahead of him, the 38-year-old had to abort his originally planned lap and start a new run. All in all, not an ideal Saturday.
At least the top-10 result of his teammate Bortoleto makes Hülkenberg a bit optimistic. “I think there are positive signs,” he said.
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“The speed and performance to attack in the midfield are absolutely there. We’ve seen that many times, and today again. We have to make sure things run smoothly.”
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