Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg has opened up on how he was able to overturn the mid-season qualifying slump that he experienced during the 2025 Formula 1 campaign.
During the opening rounds, Hulkenberg, as expected, headed his rookie team-mate at the Hinwil-based squad, Gabriel Bortoleto, in both qualifying pace and race trim.
But as Bortoleto got to grips with an ever-improving Sauber C45 challenger, the Brazilian began to pose a threat to Hulkenberg, long renowned as a one-lap specialist.
That has culminated in Bortoleto upholding an 11-10 advantage in the head-to-head going into the last three races, starting with this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
However, Hulkenberg has turned the tide back in his favour in the intra-team duel at Sauber in recent times as he has outqualified Bortoleto in the previous four races.
“Well, I just pulled my finger out… and got on with it,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I think sometimes you have a positive dynamic or momentum, and sometimes you don’t have it.
“And obviously, there was this more difficult patch over the summer period. We just kept at it, kept working, kept grinding.”
A stronger season end for Sauber
Hulkenberg’s late-season resurgence enabled him to return to the points with eighth place in the United States Grand Prix, while he also scored last time out in Brazil.
With Bortoleto bagging a point in Mexico, the upturn has put Sauber on 62 points, eight points behind Haas in eighth and another two behind Aston Martin in seventh.
Hulkenberg, who achieved his maiden F1 podium earlier in the campaign at Silverstone, has attributed his recent results to being comfortable again with Sauber’s car.
“I think the feeling and the relationship with the car is probably a bit better now than in the summertime,” he added. “And it’s just probably a result of that process.”
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