Nico Hülkenberg/Audi at Monza: Why racing director McNish has doubts about World Championship points

Allan McNish, racing director of Audi’s Formula 1 team, has earned a great deal of respect as an endurance racing driver. The 56-year-old Scot has won classics such as Le Mans and Sebring, and he paved the way for his F1 adventure whilst working for Toyota, first as a test driver and then as a Grand Prix driver.

Allan McNish

Foto: XPB

McNish is not known for sugar-coating things, and so the Briton is keeping a low profile ahead of the historic Monza Grand Prix. Allan elaborates: “We showed good pace at Zandvoort and scored points for the fourth time in a row, which is encouraging, even if there’s always room for improvement.”

“Monza is always a special place to race, with so much history on and around the circuit. This weekend, however, will present a different challenge for us, on a track layout that could make it difficult to continue the run of points we’ve achieved in recent races. Our focus will be on execution and on making the most of what we have.”

Nico Hülkenberg finished fifth at Monza in 2013 with Sauber and in 2019 with Renault. The 39-year-old German says: “Sunday at Zandvoort was another satisfying result for us. We picked up points again with P8 and – just as importantly – confirmed that we’re moving in the right direction as a team. The aim now is to maintain this level of performance in the coming races.”

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“I always enjoy being at Monza – one of the true classic circuits with so many passionate Tifosi and a place where you can really enjoy driving a Formula 1 car. The midfield is still incredibly close, so the focus is on putting in another solid weekend and seeing where we stand then.”