The Spanish Grand Prix was a very positive weekend for Sauber. In Barcelona, the German driver Nico Hulkenberg not only achieved his best result of the season, but also the team’s best in recent years. In fact, the last time the Hinwil-based squad scored 10 points was at the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix, when Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou finished seventh and eighth respectively.
Hulkenberg managed to equal that tally on his own by finishing fifth at Montmeló, including a brilliant overtake on the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton, who ended up sixth. Nico truly gave wings to Sauber.
Bortoleto fired up: “Nico made me even hungrier”
Still in disbelief over the result, the German looks toward the Canadian Grand Prix with great enthusiasm: “In Barcelona, we took a step in the right direction. The car felt stronger. The team worked well and got the result it deserved. That weekend brought new energy into the garage and at the factory. We know there’s still a gap to close, but the steps we’ve taken are very encouraging. The goal for the weekend is to keep doing well from the start and maintain the performance level we saw in Spain. If we succeed, we’ll be in the midfield battle,” the team statement reads.
Nico’s result may also serve as a motivational boost for rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, still chasing his first career points: “I can’t wait to drive in Montreal: it will be a first for me. I worked on the simulator between races to better understand the track’s limits. We came back from Barcelona with encouraging feedback on the upgrades and their potential. Our performance showed we are getting closer to the positions we want to be in. There are still steps to take, but seeing Nico’s strong result made me even hungrier. I’m eager to race. The key, as always, will be to stay focused and adapt to whatever comes our way. We’ll try to make the most of every opportunity,” Gabriel concluded.
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