Hulkenberg 'a bit sore' after P8 finish as Marko reveals Red Bull potential - F1 News 12 10 20
The biggest stories in F1 today - check out http://www.formulaspy.com! Twitter: / thomasmaheronf1 Buy me a coffee! - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/MidcHN8 ‘Super-sub’ Nico Hulkenberg finished P8 from a P20 grid slot at the Nurburgring, and was thrilled with his result. Having said on Saturday evening that he was facing ‘a hell of a challenge’ after qualifying in P20 after being flown in to replace the ill Lance Stroll ahead of the session, Nico Hulkenberg had a thriller of a race in Germany. A steady start saw him rise up to P17 on the opening lap, and his afternoon only got better from there. Starting on the Softs, he ran a long first stint to pit on Lap 29, swapping to the Mediums for an initial one stop strategy. However, a late Virtual Safety Car allowed him to make another stop for fresh Softs, and he was able to come home in P8 and just behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. He was voted as the F1 Driver of the Day by watching fans on the back of such a strong drive. “What a race and a story that was! I really didn’t think we could go from last to eighth – I’m not sure many thought it would be possible before the race!” beamed Hulkenberg afterwards. “A lot of things happened around us and some retirements helped too, but I’m really pleased with our performance and it’s a real credit to the team.” “I went out there with the goal of driving as hard as I could and avoiding any incidents, and we managed it well. It felt strange at the start as I’ve not raced around a lot of cars like that for a while, but I made up a couple of places and I started to get into a good rhythm halfway through the first stint, which was crucial because we were able to extend it and it helped me get up to speed.” continued Hulkenberg. “I’m feeling it now: it’s a very bumpy track and I’m a bit sore because it was mentally and physically demanding out there.” With Hulkenberg’s points helping Racing Point climb up to P3 in the World Championship ahead of McLaren, he wished the team luck as he presumably departs back to the substitute bench for the next race in Portugal. “I’m very happy with the result and it was great to play a part in the team moving up into P3 in the Constructors’ Championship. Obviously, there’s still a long way to go in the season, but I wish the team all the best in the coming races.” According to F1-Insider, Red Bull motorsport advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has earmarked the Turkish Grand Prix as the deadline for confirming their driver line-ups. As expected, Max Verstappen will remain at Red Bull Racing, but his teammate’s identity is not decided. Team boss Christian Horner has already said the intention is to keep Alex Albon, but his performance at the Nurburgring has raised questions again. Struggling to even stay in the points positions, Albon was eventually retired with a power unit issue, with this coming after him picking up a time penalty for a collision with Daniil Kvyat. However, Marko says Albon’s performance at the Nurburgring was fine: “The distance to Max at the Nurburgring was reasonable. If he continues to deliver races like this, he will have his cockpit for 2021 safely”. If not Albon, it’s likely an external driver will be hired, rather than a promotion for a driver from Alpha Tauri: “You can name the names. They are Hulkenberg and Perez. I don’t think that anybody is capable of beating Verstappen. The question is, who can be in the range of three tenths of a second like that? Albon can on good days and he’s still young. It’s also clear that you can’t go into the title fight with just one leg. Competitiveness is what counts. But we are not that far yet.” Alpha Tauri look set to keep Pierre Gasly, but drop Daniil Kvyat for Formula 2’s Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver has impressed in F2 this season, and will test for the team in Abu Dhabi later this year.
