On the eve of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Nico Hulkenberg spoke in an interview with the Haas press office about the special approach riders take on urban circuits.
Q: Last year you replaced Sebastian Vettel in Jeddah and finished twelfth. What can you say about the job?
Nico Hulkenberg: The job is unique and special. It’s incredibly fast for a city track, which is certainly a pleasure. The racing is very difficult and technical, but I liked it last year. Hope you enjoy it even more this year.
Question: Do you approach your work in Jeddah differently than at other circuits, or is the approach always the same: pushing the boundaries of what is possible?
Nico Hulkenberg: On the city circuit you must always be careful and gradually increase speed in each lap and in each session, gradually approaching the limit and increasing the risks. In qualifying, even a small mistake can be costly, and the rider understands this. It is a matter of good risk management, but we do it all the time.
Q: Do you have a better understanding of the car’s characteristics after the Jeddah race?
Nico Hulkenberg: In Jeddah we will hold the second race of the season on the circuit, the characteristics of which are very different from those of Bahrain. All the following circuits are slightly different from each other, so it will take more time than two stages to fully understand the car and which tracks it fits and which it doesn’t. The work continues quite dynamically and at an early stage of the season we still have a lot to change.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
