Nico Hülkenberg caused a sensation on Friday in Silverstone. In the second free practice session he put his Haas in fourth place. But is the German’s pace real and what role did the changing track conditions play? Hülkenberg is happy with the many new parts on the Haas, but also knows that the top teams have not shown everything yet.
Hülkenberg: Felt like a step forward
Hülkenberg was just over four tenths of a second behind the leader (Lando Norris). Nevertheless, he was able to hold his own at least ahead of Max Verstappen and the two Mercedes drivers.
“It’s only Friday. We shouldn’t focus too much on lap times. The first impression is positive,” says Hülkenberg. Of all the teams, Haas brought the most new parts to their Formula 1 racing cars. There are a total of seven changes. Three of them affect the underbody. There is also an update to the sidepod opening and the engine cover.
“It definitely felt like a step forward in some areas. In the areas where we had problems before. Especially the medium-fast corners,” explains Hülkenberg.
Haas revs up the engine: time gain on the straights
But today’s times in free practice make it clear. It wasn’t just the updates that put Hülkenberg in fourth place. Especially on the long straights with the DRS zone, Hülkenberg gained time on Charles Leclerc with the same Ferrari engine. This suggests more power was released. Kevin Magnussen, on the other hand, couldn’t put together a proper lap and therefore remained last.
In addition, the conditions during the second practice session changed over time, becoming increasingly cool and then wet. During the drivers’ soft runs, there was hardly any rain on the track. However, Hülkenberg was one of the drivers who set their time earlier.
“I think we were in the top third of the drivers. But on my slow lap I saw a few on softs, so I don’t think it had much of an impact.”
Nevertheless, Hülkenberg also knows: “We shouldn’t get carried away now. We have to deliver tomorrow, on Sunday too and even in the next races in order to reassess the package,” says Nico Hülkenberg, initially rather cautious.