F1 star gives tough assessment on team's season

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas, Bahrain, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 star gives tough assessment on team's season

Nico Hulkenberg expects a ‘long’ and ‘challenging’ year ahead for Haas

Shay Rogers

Friday 1 March 2024 12:57 Updated: 13:37

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Nico Hulkenberg expects Haas to have a difficult 2024 season despite any improvements that they have made over the winter break.

Comfortably the worst car in race trim last year, the VF-24 sets about improving consistency and tyre life in long-run form.

The ‘Hulk’ was one of few drivers who outshone their machinery in 2023, dragging a dogged Haas car into Q3 on multiple occasions.

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He shows no signs of slowing down despite his age and remains set on achieving an F1 podium before his career ends.

Nico Hulkenberg enters his second season with Haas in 2024

Nico Hulkenberg drives the new VF-24 through the Bahraini desert

Hulkenberg: We want to keep improving

There was promising news for Haas after practice on Thursday, with Hulkenberg ending the day a highly respectable seventh fastest and narrowly behind world champion Max Verstappen.

Addressing the media before the Bahrain Grand Prix, the German discussed Haas’ work over the course of pre-season testing.

"We've seen improvements, the car also feels better,” said Hulkenberg. “Then if you look at the data and the lap times, the consistency was there (in comparison) to last year.

"It's early days, we'll learn much more after Saturday evening because race conditions can be more tough and different, so that's obviously going to be the real test.

"But as I say we're optimistic and positive that we've made a step forward, but it's a long challenging year ahead of us, where we want to keep improving."

Saturday will be the true test of any progress that Haas have made in making their car more competitive over the course of more than ten laps.

Should they fail in their pursuit of improvement, they could be in for one incredibly long season.

F1 Haas Nico Hulkenberg