Nico Hulkenberg cruised to his second sixth place finish in as many races, as he begins to tighten his grip on seventh position in the Drivers’ Championship. Now the German heads to Interlagos, a circuit which has brought him some special memories in his Formula 1 career so far.
Why is the Brazilian Grand Prix so special?
The Brazilian Grand Prix is probably my favourite race on the calendar. São Paulo has a really cool vibe about it, crazy in a way, but that’s what I like about the place. Interlagos is situated in a town that is mad about motorsport, in a motorsport mad country with motorsport mad supporters, so it has all the right ingredients for a memorable race weekend.
What’s there to say about the legendary Interlagos?
Interlagos is a circuit which carries so much history. There have been so many world championship titles decided in Interlagos, as well as a lot of other prominent Formula 1 moments. You feel all the emotions on a lap of the circuit and that’s why I find it so special. Maybe that’s why I seem to go well there!
It’s a short lap, but busy behind the wheel with a lot of challenges to get through. It’s anti-clockwise, tough on the neck and quite physical on the rest of the body, as it’s bumpy in places. Confidence is key, especially through the middle sector as you can make up a lot of time through there.
What memories do you have from the Brazilian Grand Prix?
From a personal point of view, Interlagos is the place of some special memories for me. The standout is definitely my pole position lap in 2010 as a rookie. That was awesome and one of those sessions where everything clicked and we nailed the perfect lap in changing conditions. That’s something I will never forget. In 2012, I led the Brazilian Grand Prix for 30 laps, and, when I reflect on that, I was unlucky to miss out on the podium. I also led the race in 2014 for a short amount of time. It’s a circuit where I seem to score good results, so I’ll be out to keep that record up again this year.
With another sixth place in the bag, what’s there to say about Mexico?
You always try to get the best from what you have and we’ve now had two very good weekends back-to-back. It was a very positive Grand Prix for us. The race was straightforward, managing the tyres and making sure the one-stop worked. I had a comfortable gap after Carlos [Sainz] retired so it was steady away from there to ensure the team took home some important points. We know the next two races will be challenging, but Brazil is always fun so I’m looking forward to getting out there and solidifying both my seventh place in the Drivers’ Championship and contributing to the team’s target of fourth place in the Constructors’.
This day eight years ago was incredible. ? Really looking forward to the coming weekend. Interlagos is a circuit which carries so much history and special F1 moments.. #BrazilGP https://t.co/Mcu9xvMdNA
— Nico Hülkenberg (@HulkHulkenberg) November 6, 2018
