Nico Hülkenberg once again came very close to the points at the Japanese Grand Prix, finishing his race in 11th place, a position he seems to be stuck with this season, just like in the previous round.
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A frustrating result for the Audi F1 driver, who nevertheless had the pace required to aim for the top 10, but whose race was compromised from the very first meters.
Having qualified 13th, the German completely missed his start, dropping to 19th position by the end of the first lap.
Immediate and very penalizing drop
A significant drop that immediately plunged him into traffic, forcing him to build a comeback race in particularly complex conditions. Despite favorable timing from the safety car, he never managed to fully close the gap, finishing just outside the points.
“We had good pace and a realistic chance of scoring points, but our race was compromised by a poor start,” analyzes Hülkenberg. “Improving our starts is clearly a point we need to focus on.”
Beyond this failed start, he also highlighted the structural difficulties related to current single-seaters, particularly regarding energy management.
In this context, attacking becomes a double-edged sword: “You can try to overtake, but you find yourself immediately vulnerable afterwards. It’s a constant compromise at the moment.”
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Despite the disappointment, Hülkenberg noted a positive aspect: the amount of data collected over a full weekend, which will allow the team to better understand its areas for improvement before the next race.
Same for Bortoleto
His teammate Gabriel Bortoleto also had a frustrating race. Having qualified in a solid 9th place, the Brazilian could legitimately aim for his first points, but his start also heavily penalized him.
Like Hülkenberg, he lost several positions as soon as the lights went out, dropping to 15th place on the first lap. Despite an interesting strategy and an extended stint that allowed him to take advantage of the safety car, he failed to get back into the top 10 and ultimately finished 13th.
“Our pace wasn’t too bad, but I had some difficulties on the straights,” he explains. “What penalized us most today was the start. We’ve known since the first race that it’s a weak point.”
Bortoleto insisted that these poor starts regularly compromise the work done in qualifying, preventing the team from capitalizing on its progress.
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