Hülkenberg, returning happy: The Racing Point “has enormous potential”

Replacing Sergio Pérez at short notice at Racing Point after the positive screening for Coronavirus Mexican, Nico Hülkenberg experienced an intense 24 hours at Silverstone. 

Arrived the day before from Germany, the former pilot Renault stayed at the factory until 2 a.m. to have his seat molded. He then returned at 08:00 a.m. for an express session in the in-house simulator intended to familiarize him with the steering wheel interface and its functionalities. 

« The last 24 hours have been a little crazy, recognized Hulkenberg on the evening of the opening day of the British Grand Prix. The night was short but it was worth it. I want to thank the team, in particular the night team for having me well installed in the car but also the FIA ​​for having validated my Super License so quickly ». 

In two free sessions, the returning rider will have completed 50 laps with more than honest times. Hülkenberg, who had to borrow things belonging to his new teammate Lance stroll, finished 9th in EL1, before moving up to 7th in the afternoon after a session dominated by the Canadian's Racing Point RP20.

« I feel like I've been thrown into the water, Hülkenberg still recognized. My body will make me feel it tomorrow. It’s a big challenge but I’m not the type to shy away. It's hard to reproduce the forces experienced on board a F1. 

Even though I'm in decent shape, nothing really prepares you to get behind the wheel again, especially here at Silverstone, one of the fastest tracks on the calendar, at 35°C. You are under severe test. 

I took things step by step to get my bearings, get into the rhythm, and understand the car. The car is quite different from last year's Renault. It takes time to get used to it. There is a whole learning process. 

We can see that the car has enormous potential. I did not use the soft tire optimally. I have to do better. This will be one of the points to improve by tomorrow ». 

With a real night's sleep, equipment that fits his size, and the first lessons well assimilated, who knows if Hülkenberg can't create a surprise this weekend?