Nico Hulkenberg explained to Motorsport Week how extracting pace over a single lap in Formula 1 qualifying has always “come naturally” to him in the sport.
In 2023, Hulkenberg returned to the F1 fold with Haas, having last contested a full campaign in 2019.
Despite Haas having arguably the least competitive package, Hulkenberg appeared in the top-10 Q3 shootout an impressive eight times.
In 2024 Haas improved dramatically to be a genuine midfield contender and Hulkenberg made 11 Q3 appearances.
This feat cannot be ignored given the dominance the top four teams of McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes hold over the rest of the field and Hulkenberg’s stats put him as one of F1’s very best qualifiers.
In an exclusive chat ahead of last year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Motorsport Week asked Hulkenberg how he performs so well in qualifying conditions.
“I personally like qualifying a lot,” Hulkenberg replied.
“It’s just super intense, very dynamic, [the] most dynamic session of an F1 weekend because you’re in and out the whole time, constantly going quicker, really exploiting the limit of the fastest cars in the world.
“It’s very exciting, a lot of adrenaline pumping through your body and personally I enjoy that challenge of driving the car on the limit, trying to get a bit more every time and I think it’s the one thing also that comes naturally more to me.”
As if further proof were needed, Hulkenberg went an incredible fourth fastest in qualifying in the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
How Hulkenberg benefitted from three-year F1 absence
Three years out of a full-time F1 drive is a long time to be away from the sport, but that is exactly what happened to Hulkenberg after Renault elected to replace the German with Esteban Ocon for the 2020 season.
His qualifying prowess upon his F1 return suggests that the Hulkenberg that came back to F1 is every bit as good, if not better than the driver who departed at the end of 2019.
With that in mind, Motorsport Week asked the German whether the time away gave him a psychological edge to improve in 2023 and beyond.
“Yeah, I think in some ways, yes, it did, because in 2019 it wasn’t all that good, so it kind of was needed anyways,” he replied.
“But I think, like you say, the psychological part in the sport is very powerful and super important.
“And basically that’s what gives you confidence and the confidence, again translates to being able to drive the car better, so it’s all connected.
“But I think for me it was refreshing, it was good to step away and disconnect properly and reflect on my career, have some proper time away, digest it all and come back fresh.”
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