WM point for Hülkenberg in Madrid: “Can do more, but can also do worse”

– Nico Hülkenberg had already announced it before the first Grand Prix at the Madrid circuit: For Audi, it would mainly be about getting through. In the end, the German actually scored a point.

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There was not much spectacle at the debut track in Madrid, however. Hülkenberg benefited from a strong pit stop during a VSC phase and brought tenth place to the finish.

“Yes, it’s okay. A point is a point. It could be more, but it could also be worse, of course,” Hülkenberg sums up. Much more than the one world championship point was apparently not possible for the Audi driver under the given circumstances. “Quite a strong race, not a lot happened, as expected. Or I mean, actually much more was expected,” he refers to the procession-like Grand Prix.

The Madrid circuit had attracted a lot of attention before its Formula 1 debut with its mix of tight sections, fast corners, and the banked section in the stadium area. However, the big action was missing in the race.

Hülkenberg recalls similar experiences on other street circuits: “Action and incidents and then, as is often the case and as it has often been in the past, like in Baku and so on, everyone is quite restrained and under control.”

A point thanks to pit stop during VSC

Hülkenberg started the race from eleventh place and lost a position to Esteban Ocon already in the second corner. Because he was on the outside in corner 1 and then inside in corner 2, he got caught between other cars. Ocon therefore had the better exit from the section.

“Esteban had a long run and no one in front of him, so unfortunately he got me there,” Hülkenberg describes the scene. In the further course, however, the Audi remained within striking distance. “I got pretty close to him again, when braking for the pit entry I was right on his gearbox,” he says.

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The decisive moment came during a virtual Safety Car phase. Audi had split the strategies of its two drivers and was therefore able to bring Hülkenberg into the pits at the right time. The stop was so good that the German returned to the track ahead of the relevant competitors. “Our pit crew beat the others, that was a great job by them.”

Audi sporting director Allan McNish also makes clear the pit crew’s share in the result. Due to the different strategies, the team had several options. When the VSC came, Audi was able to bring Hülkenberg into the pits with the softer tire. “And it was a breathtaking pit stop!”

The stop put him in a position where he could then fight for the last point. For McNish, the stop was therefore “the decisive factor”.

Bortoleto on alternative strategy

Another important variable was Alpine’s pace. Pierre Gasly stayed out for a long time, keeping a strategy alive that Audi had to keep an eye on. Hülkenberg waited for the Frenchman to eventually come into his pit stop window.

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“Yes, it was a bit tight,” says the German. Gasly initially kept pulling away, then lost time again. “Something happened to him then, but yes, the Alpines were definitely fast today.”

Hülkenberg’s teammate Gabriel Bortoleto also felt this, who, like Gasly, drove a long first stint on hard tires. “Pierre and I maybe waited for a red flag so that we could have a bit of luck on our side and change tires. But that didn’t happen,” he said.

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Because after the VSC phase, the race remained under normal conditions. There was neither another Safety Car phase nor a red flag. When Franco Colapinto finally passed Bortoleto, he decided on the regular stop.

“I said: ‘Guys, to the pits! I don’t want to be overtaken by everyone on these crappy tires, I’ve had enough of it. Let’s just go into the pit lane again and then switch to the soft tires,'” he describes his reaction. In the end, it was 13th place for the Brazilian.

Will upcoming upgrades take Audi further?

For Audi, the result is especially valuable because the team had recently fallen behind competitors who had added updates. “Overall, I am satisfied, especially that we had two cars that delivered a very close duel throughout the weekend,” emphasizes McNish.

“This gave us the opportunity to test different strategies. But both drivers executed it very, very well. The pit crew took advantage of the opportunity and made the best of it. In the end, we scored a point.”

An upgrade is announced for the upcoming race. However, Hülkenberg does not expect Audi to automatically finish ahead of Alpine with it. Especially since the upcoming track is a special challenge. “Baku is always a specific track, it has its own rules,” says the German.

He expects bigger progress only on the following tracks. “I think this upgrade should bear more fruit in Kuala Lumpur afterwards and then in Singapore,” Hülkenberg looks ahead. The crucial thing is that the package improves performance and allows Audi to take another step forward.

Sky expert Ralf Schumacher sees Audi basically on a good path. “For the first year, it is very pleasantly quiet around the team. They seem to be working together, the drivers get along,” says Schumacher. Team principal Mattia Binotto has also changed from his point of view. “I think Mattia Binotto has also become much more approachable than he was during his Ferrari days.”

At the same time, Schumacher sees Audi facing an important strategic decision regarding the further development path and the allocation of resources: “Now they are at a crossroads: How much money do you still invest this year and how much do you already use for next year?” asks the expert.

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