Nico Hulkenberg has not raced at the Spanish circuit in Barcelona since 2019, so the Haas driver is looking forward to starting the seventh round of the season next weekend.
Q: What do you like about the Spanish circuit in Barcelona?
Nico Hulkenberg: There is a lot of pressure on the neck on this circuit, especially from this year onwards when we return to the old configuration of the last two corners. This means the track will be faster because the slow chicane has been removed from the configuration. I think the track will move from the medium-speed category to the fast category, and it will become more difficult.
Everyone knows the circuit in Barcelona because we did all the winter testing on it in the past. I feel like I’ve done millions of laps on this track and now I want to evaluate the last sector.
Barcelona is a chic city with great food, so we have no reason to complain about the rides to this stage.
Question: Are you happy that the organizers changed the configuration?
Nico Hulkenberg: I think these are the right changes. Racers over the years have learned the track so well during winter and season testing that it’s already starting to get a little boring. I am happy that we are waiting for the race in Barcelona this year without any preliminary testing. Overall, I haven’t raced this track since 2019.
Q: Does working on the simulator during the season really help the riders?
Nico Hulkenberg: Many teams and riders are working on the simulator. We use it to prepare for the weekend as best we can. We evaluate different options for settings and already get to the track with the best option, which we start working with. I think our approach is working well this year.
The simulator is a tool for finalizing the car and choosing settings. In addition, he personally lets me learn new circuits for himself, like in Miami or Imola, the race that never took place. It is useful for the rider to learn new tracks on the simulator, so as not to start from scratch. We try to work half a day and do 40-50 laps, getting to the track prepared for 50%-60%.
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.
