Nico Hulkenberg issues DESPERATE Haas plea after Belgian GP misery

Nico Hulkenberg

Hulkenberg issues DESPERATE Haas plea after Belgian GP misery

Finishing last at Spa encapsulated Hulkenberg and his team's mixed season

Dan Davis

Tuesday 15 August 2023 15:27

Nico Hulkenberg is hopeful Haas will have drastically improved after the summer break after suffering from "nonsense" at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The team have endured a largely underwhelming season to date, the VF-23's rapid pace over one lap in qualifying a stark contrast to their lack of performance in races, leaving Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen struggling for points.

Indeed, aside from Hulkenberg's sixth-placed finish in the drizzly sprint in Austria, Haas have failed to score a point since Magnussen came home 10th in Miami.

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There would be no drastic improvement in the final race before the hiatus, either, with Hulkenberg starting the sprint last and the race from the pit lane. Ultimately, he finished 18th and rock bottom respectively, rounding off a weekend to forget.

Haas have struggled with mixed reliability this year

Front wing hope

"Sometimes it's nicer to have all the nonsense and hassle in one weekend instead of spread over two or three," he told ServusTV.

"So I now hope that we have improved some things and then from Zandvoort, where a new front wing is waiting, we can stand with both feet on the ground.

"Hopefully this will also improve our performance. Because as it is now, if nothing changes, it's not worth much."

Despite being hamstrung by the Haas' mixed reliability, Hulkenberg has drawn plaudits for his willingness to race wheel-to-wheel with those around him.

"Those are the little things you look for, personal battles you fight," he admitted. "Because if there is no speed, you have to find the fun elsewhere."

Haas are eighth in the constructors' championship, level on points with Williams.