Nico Hülkenberg narrowly missed out on Q3 during qualifying for the 2026 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas, setting the 12th-fastest time and falling just one tenth of a second short of reaching the final session. However, the German Audi driver will start Sunday’s race from 11th on the grid and believes he has the pace to challenge the drivers ahead.
Qualifying at Austin proved exceptionally competitive, with very small margins separating several drivers in the midfield. Nico Hülkenberg came close to securing a place in the top ten, but his second attempt in Q2 failed to deliver the improvement needed to progress. Despite the disappointment, the German remains optimistic about his chances of fighting for points in what promises to be a demanding race.
Nico Hülkenberg explains narrow Q3 miss in Austin qualifying
Reflecting on the session, Nico Hülkenberg highlighted the extremely tight competition and the difficulties of finding the additional performance required to reach Q3.
“It was a very closely fought qualifying session. The first lap in Q2 was competitive, but on the second attempt we couldn’t improve enough. In such a tightly packed part of the standings, it really takes very little to lose several positions,” Nico Hülkenberg explained.
The German driver’s comments underline how important even the smallest improvement can be when several teams are competing within a few tenths of a second. Although his initial Q2 lap was promising, the lack of progress on his final attempt ultimately prevented him from reaching the last qualifying segment.
Nico Hülkenberg confident Audi can fight for points at United States GP
Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Nico Hülkenberg believes his starting position offers an opportunity to make progress. However, the Audi driver expects a physically demanding Grand Prix, with the uneven track surface adding another challenge for competitors.
“Starting 11th gives us a good opportunity. It will be a long and demanding race, also because of the bumps in the asphalt. The start and the opening lap will be decisive, but I believe we have the pace to fight with those ahead of us and try to score points.”
Track conditions could play an important role throughout the Grand Prix, with the demanding Austin circuit placing additional pressure on tyre management and race strategy. Pirelli has also highlighted the challenges facing Formula 1 teams at Austin as they prepare their race strategies.
For Nico Hülkenberg, the immediate objective is to make the most of the opening lap before attempting to move into the points-paying positions. With the margins between midfield competitors remaining extremely small, the German believes Audi has enough performance to challenge its closest rivals over the race distance.
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