The streets of Dschidda do not forgive mistakes-Nico Hülkenberg and the clean team had to be bitterly experienced in qualifying at the great price of Saudi Arabia. For both drivers, it was already in Q1. Hülkenberg landed in 18th place after an unfortunate burner, Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto became the last. The team still had reason for careful optimism on Friday.
Hülkenberg was visibly disappointed after the session: “I blocked the inner bike, missed the curve, curve two completely missed. Funny because I smelled the roast a bit – the front tires did not feel good on the outlap,” he says the decisive scene.
Although he said earlier, according to his own statement, the car was not slowed down as expected. “You just had to stay on the brake, but the front axle was blocked. Relatively strange and strange – we have to take a closer look.” What remains is the feeling that much more would have been possible: “The two tenths on Q2 were definitely in there. Not optimal – something would have happened today.”
Hülkenberg: Friday space from Sauber not real
The team had given a solid picture after Friday. “I think we were relatively sorted yesterday,” said Hülkenberg. “Others still had problems, it let us stand a little better than it was realistic. Many found themselves overnight – and the chopping order was restored.”
Team boss Jonathan Wheatley, who has been running clean since this season, also saw the missed opportunities with mixed feelings. “We were actually confident of being able to reach Q2. Both drivers had problems in curve one – Nico did not get the desired bite into the brake, and Gabriel was out of the slipstream with a lot of momentum, but the car could no longer hold two.”
Bortoleto fights with deficit and bad luck
A special drop of bitterness: the situation was hardly ideal for Bortoleto. After a defect in the petrol line, the team had to change the Monocoque – the Brazilian completely missed the second free training and started qualifying. His gratitude for the use of the crew was all the greater: “A big thank you to the team that made the car available for FT3 in good time,” he says.
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In terms of sport, however, the Saturday was disappointing: “I had a decent first push lap, but then I collected a plastic bag, had to go to the box, and the third attempt I was too optimistic in the slipstream of Max [Verstappen]. I missed the brake point and turned – my mistake. “
A difficult race is imminent for clean. Both drivers start from far back on a city course, which despite a long straight leaves hardly any room for overtaking maneuvers. Hülkenberg remains combative: “The starting place is of course not ideal. But we will give everything. We need a little action in front of us and a clever strategy – then maybe there is something in it.”