Nico Hulkenberg Q&A: Azerbaijan Grand Prix
April 26, 2023
Nico previews this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which will see him race his first F1 sprint event.
Coming back from a three-week break – what did you get up to and how did you spend your time away from the track?
“Obviously it was a calmer, quieter time but we did the normal debriefing from Melbourne and then some preparation for Baku and Miami. It’s about to get pretty hectic so we also had a simulator day setting-up and preparing those two races. I’ve done a lot of training also, trying to maintain the best fitness possible and as a family we moved to Mallorca for two weeks to recharge the batteries and get ready.”
The Australian Grand Prix delivered your first points for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, and the fifth time you’ve scored seventh place around Albert Park. How does it feel to get your first points with the team before the three-week break?
“Getting your first points is always positive and it’s a box ticked, it’s done. I feel in the first two races – even in Jeddah – a lot of progress was made behind the scenes and a lot of good work was put into the car and the set-up. We’re still experimenting a lot with that so hopefully there’s more to come but definitely it was a nice feeling to have a strong, solid race and come home with points into the break.”
Moving to Round 4 of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It marks the first Sprint event of the season and your very first participation in a Sprint weekend. What are your opinions on the format and as a driver with over 180 grand prix starts, does this bring welcomed new challenges over the course of a season?
“It’s the first Sprint for me and obviously from a spectator’s point of view it’s very interesting. For me also it’s much less practice, only one hour, and straight into a meaningful session – it reminds me of my junior days – and I used to like that. I go into it with an open mind just accepting the challenge, which is less preparation time, and you need to hit the sweet spot earlier. Baku is a pretty spectacular and challenging high-speed circuit so we’re gearing up for a tough but interesting weekend.”