Ahead of the US Grand Prix in Austin: Nico Hülkenberg (Audi) hopes for more reasons to celebrate

The German Audi team is coming off a successful weekend in Singapore – at least as far as Nico Hülkenberg is concerned. The German finished eighth in Singapore, securing four points for the team. He had already finished seventh in the Sprint race the day before (which awards two points). This is the first time Audi has scored points in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. Hülkenberg’s team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto, on the other hand, had what he himself described as a “horrible” weekend, having to retire from both the Sprint and the Grand Prix due to problems.

Looking ahead to this weekend’s US Grand Prix, Hülkenberg said: “Singapore was a great way to round off the triple-header, and it felt good to reward the team with some important points. We certainly enjoyed the race, but in Formula 1 you’re only as good as your last session, so the focus is now entirely on Austin. The Circuit of the Americas is a brilliant track, with a good mix of fast corners, technical sections and proper racing. The Texan fans always create a brilliant atmosphere. We’ve got another three busy weeks ahead of us, so it’s good to get straight back into the thick of things. Hopefully we can secure a good starting position and give the team even more reason to celebrate.” After Austin, it’s straight on to Mexico City and São Paulo – another triple-header.

Audi confident after Singapore weekend

Audi’s racing director Allan McNish says: “It was encouraging to see that our efforts in Singapore resulted in a strong performance, and that gives us confidence for the upcoming races. At the same time, we know how close the competition is and how much work still lies ahead.”

The Scot observes: “We’ve made some good progress recently. Now it’s a case of keeping up the pressure, squeezing out that little bit extra and creating more opportunities for both cars to score points.”

Audi driver Bortoleto aims for the top 10

Bortoleto, who had a run of bad luck in Singapore, isn’t letting it get him down: “A weekend in Austin is always fun and the atmosphere is brilliant. Things haven’t quite gone to plan for me in the last few races, so I’m motivated to get back out on track and give it another go this weekend. We’ve been close to the top 10 a few times now, and I’m really keen to turn that into a good result.”

Topic of the week

Topic of the week: MotoGP’s new schedule proved highly controversial

In 2027, MotoGP will also enter the 850cc era with a new schedule. It was not so much the changes themselves as the way the decisions were reached that caused a stir. A prime example of: ‘Talking helps’.

Thomas Kuttruf

Read More

TV Program

Live

Austin: 1. Freies Training

FIA Formula One World Championship

23.10.2026 - 19:25