– There it is again – the 11! Looking at qualifying, race, and sprint sessions together, the name Nico Hülkenberg is associated with 11th place in six out of eleven cases. Presumably, this is exactly what Audi is currently capable of delivering.
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Looking at Gabriel Bortoleto’s results, he mostly hovers around this mysterious eleven – at least with some outliers into the top-10 region, like in Australia and Japan. Admittedly, in the sprint qualifying in Canada, Hülkenberg narrowly and especially late secured this position.
Four seconds before the waving of the checkered flag, the Audi driver set a 1:14.595 to claim the crucial 10th place. Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, and Oliver Bearman could no longer counter this. But then there was Carlos Sainz, who, with his revitalized Williams, claimed the last lap, found the best track conditions in Montreal, and placed just ahead of the German.
Audi with encouraging turnaround after problems in free practice
In the end, once again, a ridiculous five hundredths of a second decided Hülkenberg’s entry into the final session. “Of course, it’s a shame to miss entry into SQ3 by half a tenth. But it wasn’t meant to be,” said the 38-year-old. (For the sprint qualifying report)
Although Hülkenberg was still in 9th place in the first free practice, the Audi driver spoke after the sprint qualifying of a “very challenging and problematic first free practice.” The team struggled with some issues, so it was “not the best preparation.”
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Nevertheless, “they then put the best car on the track.” “It was quite a ride,” said the German. For the rest of the weekend, “everything is still possible.” For Hülkenberg, Audi is competitive again. Especially with regard to Sunday, the turnaround gives hope to finally score some points again. In the sprint, it probably won’t be enough for points. But Audi seems to be in the fight for 10th place.
Will the missing hundredths come overnight?
Team-mate Bortoleto, who finished 12th just behind Hülkenberg – only three hundredths of a second behind the German – confirms this. The top 10 are a “realistic thing” for the Brazilian. The track was tricky and extremely dirty, but “everyone struggled with tire temperatures.” “I think I drove a decent lap,” Bortoleto said satisfied.
“Of course, it’s frustrating to miss the last session of sprint qualifying by such small margins,” said Audi’s race director Allan McNish. “However, it was positive to see that both drivers were able to bring the car exactly into the right window.”
Audi not only brings a decent starting position for tomorrow’s sprint but also “confidence for the main race.” “There is still a bit of work ahead of us overnight,” the Brit continued. The team now hopes to find the missing hundredths “to make a decisive step forward.”
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