A challenging Austrian Grand Prix for Nico Hulkenberg means he has extra determination to strive for points on a fast and flowing Silverstone circuit.
What do you make of Silverstone?
Silverstone is a high-speed circuit with lots of old corner combinations such as Maggots, Becketts and Chapel which are truly awesome. There are so many great corners where you really feel the forces of a Formula 1 car. You have to really work your neck in the build-up before Silverstone to get ready for the high G forces and it’s important to be ready for it. At Silverstone, we’ll really feel the extra cornering forces from the cars this season. We need good high-speed balance on the car to maximise our performance. It’s a challenging lap but also a lot of fun and very special.
And what about the British atmosphere?
Silverstone is one of the historic races on the calendar. You really get a feel for the roots of racing there. The atmosphere is buzzing and that always gives me an extra boost, especially as my Formula 1 home for so many years was just outside the gates. You get a great feeling when you’re driving with the thousands of fanatical Formula 1 supporters cheering you on. It’s one of those special races because the grandstands are full – all around the circuit and across the entire weekend. There’s a really cool, traditional atmosphere about the place which is great to experience. You always see how much the fans love the sport. It will be a busy weekend with lots of people and lots of sponsors there to see us, especially with the 40th anniversary celebrations.
How do you sum up Austria?
Sunday wasn’t good, but Saturday was more positive, P11 on the grid was probably the best we could have done. In the race, the anti-stall at the start kicked in and we dropped to the back, we need to review what happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again. I was almost last by the first corner. And it was difficult after that. I struggled on the Supersoft tyres and I wasn’t making ground, so we switched to the Softs to try something different. I lost a lot of time with the front runners and blue flags, so it was difficult. We will analyse, regroup and go again in a couple of days.
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— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) July 12, 2017
