Nico Hulkenberg, a driver for Haas Formula 1, expressed the need to analyze his restart at Suzuka after encountering an anti-stall issue that prevented him from earning an additional point. During the Japanese Grand Prix, Hulkenberg initially made a strong start, moving ahead of Yuki Tsunoda to secure a position in the points. However, during the second standing restart, he experienced a delay in response to the lights, causing him to drop six places to 16th. Hulkenberg attributed this to a problem with his VF-24 and expressed his intention to investigate the issue further.
The setback in the restart dashed Hulkenberg’s hopes of adding another point to his and his team’s tally. Nevertheless, the pace demonstrated by Haas was impressive compared to their midfield competitors. The team had not anticipated being competitive at Suzuka, making it a significant challenge for the American outfit. Hulkenberg admitted his surprise at being able to recover from the poor restart and acknowledged the team’s strong performance.
Hulkenberg acknowledged that they had the potential to compete with other midfield teams and praised the overall performance of the car. Despite missing out on a chance to battle with Yuki, he remained positive and recognized the progress made. Hulkenberg expressed his satisfaction with the outcome and eagerly anticipated future races.
Haas is aiming to challenge its main rivals, RB, for sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship. Currently, both teams are the only ones in the midfield to have scored points, with RB leading the way.
When asked about the car’s performance compared to its predecessor, Hulkenberg expressed his excitement for the significant progress made and the upcoming developments.
“It’s much better than last year,” Hulkenberg stated. “And we also have some other improvements in the pipeline. We still have untapped potential in terms of the car’s setup, so there’s definitely room for further improvement.”
“I have a positive feeling this year that we are in a better position than last year,” he added.
Hulkenberg revealed that the first set of upgrades for Haas’ VF-24 challenger will be introduced at the Chinese Grand Prix. However, he emphasized the importance of finding performance gains through testing and ensuring that the upgrades are effective.
“Before bringing any upgrades to the track, we need to validate their performance, whether it’s in the wind tunnel or elsewhere. Otherwise, it would be pointless,” the German driver explained.
“But our goal is to continuously improve throughout the season. China is just a part of the upgrade package, with further updates planned for later in Imola.”
“It’s a gradual process, step by step. We always need to bring the upgrades to the track and confirm that they deliver as expected, ensuring that the correlation between the wind tunnel and the actual performance is accurate.”