Nico Hülkenberg (Audi): “That always makes the teams a bit nervous in Mexico”

You can always count on Nico Hülkenberg, even at the historic Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit in Mexico: sixth once, seventh twice, ninth once, tenth once – time and again, the now 39-year-old German has finished in the top ten here.

Ahead of his 268th Grand Prix weekend, the Audi driver says: “Overall, Austin was a fairly solid weekend, even if the race didn’t quite go our way after losing a few places at the start.”

“We had the pace to battle with the cars around us, but in such a tight midfield it’s never easy to make up lost ground. We’ll learn from this and try to have a cleaner weekend in Mexico.”

“Mexico City is always a great place to race and one of the weekends I really enjoy. The culture is vibrant, the fans are incredibly passionate, and the atmosphere in the stadium section has been something very special ever since we returned here in 2015. The altitude also presents a unique challenge for the cars and drivers, so there’s a lot to contend with.”

In the Autódromo paddock, the Emmerich-born driver added, when asked about the set-up work in Mexico: “Well, we’re racing here in very thin air, but I wouldn’t even say that working with the race car is any different from usual or more difficult – the laws of physics are still the same here too. The big issues here are always the same – cooling the engine and brakes. That always makes the teams a bit nervous about whether the right compromise has been found here.”

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“As far as the power unit’s performance beyond cooling is concerned, I don’t see any particular problems ahead for us. Mexico is a high-power circuit; that hasn’t changed, even with the 2026 power units.”

“How well will we do here? That would be pure speculation. I’d rather we get out on track on Friday and find out where we stand, also in comparison to the competition. Part of the circuit has been freshly resurfaced, so that might play a role. In Mexico, too, it will be crucial to get the car into the optimal operating window.”

“As for myself, I’m largely satisfied with my performances this season. I don’t think I’ve made many mistakes or missed out on opportunities. I feel I’ve adapted reasonably well to the new rules.”

“But of course there are numerous areas where we need to make progress – our starts aren’t consistent enough, and we need more from the power unit as well. But I think Audi is on the right track there.”