Nico Hülkenberg (Audi/14th): Puzzled by loss of pace in sprint qualifying

One thing Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hülkenberg had in common at Zandvoort was this: impressive speed and decent car handling in free practice, but in the Sprint qualifying session, everything suddenly changed.

German driver Nico Hülkenberg, who turned 39 on 19 August, demonstrated his Audi’s potential by finishing 7th in the only free practice session. But, as with Hamilton, things didn’t go to plan later on in the Sprint qualifying – Hülki could only manage 14th on the grid.

Hülkenberg explains: “It was a day of very mixed fortunes. Free practice was really positive. I felt good in the car, and we seemed well-placed for qualifying.”

“In the Sprint qualifying, however, the feel of the car suddenly changed; I no longer felt the same grip, which made it harder to find the perfect working window for the car. We’re not entirely sure what changed between the two practice sessions.”

Things went better for the second Audi driver, Gabriel Bortoleto. The Brazilian said: “Even the first practice session went well, and after a few fine-tuning adjustments we were able to take another step forward in the Sprint Qualifying. Starting from ninth on the grid, I naturally want to finish in the points in the Sprint. We’ve got the pace to do it.”

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Zandvoort: Sprintrennen

FIA Formula One World Championship

22.08.2026 - 11:30

As a reminder: in the Sprint, the top eight finishers earn World Championship points.