Nico Hülkenberg: the other good surprise from qualifying!

Where exactly was Nico Hulkenberg ? What would he see from the height of his 181 Grands Prix contested? Was the Bahrain event going to be one more desert in a career already counting a lot or this oasis capable of regenerating it?

For him, after three seasons of sporadic appearances, it was important to immediately find a tight trajectory, a rhythm capable of accelerating his integration into his new environment.

Also, without hoping to rediscover the freshness of the new of his debut made here in 2010 with Williams, he was waiting for something refreshing. Something like a nice surprise to mark the spirits of the team members Haas.

A welcome gift of sorts, addressed to those who ignored the prejudices of age – the native of Emmerich in the Rhineland is 35 years old – had allowed him this new curtain raiser, these final three blows on a career until then more chaotic than calm, this chance to bounce back which is his last because there will be no other in the event of failure.

New start

It is therefore invested with the mission of being this Haas ace capable of giving new life to the American team while resuming his own that he launched into his first “qualifying” of renewal, without trembling, with a time of 1'31''204 synonymous with P6 and passage to Q2.

At the end of the latter, it was a time of 1'30''809 which this time allowed him to win the precious sesame with a fine 8th place. Q3 for his first qualification with the American team, Hülk succeeded in his bet.

It didn't matter that his only fast lap in 1'31''055 was canceled for having exceeded the limits of the track at turn 4 since the essential was done.

« It wasn't perfect in Q3 unfortunately, but I don't think I'm going to let that ruin my day and my good mood, he smiled as he dismounted., whispered the ghost. I'm pretty happy with how I was able to do the laps at the right time.

We already saw yesterday that on a timed lap we are in a decent and quite competitive position, but the real test will come tomorrow. I'm expecting a very tough battle and race, but I can't wait. »

This afternoon, at 16:00 p.m. French time, it is with a liberated mind that “ Hulk » will start from the fifth row of the starting grid alongsideEsteban Ocon (Alpine) which had been preferred to him at Renault for 2020. In a way, he will pick up the thread of his career where he left off in 2019 in Abu Dhabi. Quite a symbol.