Nico Hülkenberg regrets the complicated start he had in this Sunday’s (29) Japanese GP. The German saw potential to get the first points of the 2026 Formula 1 season, but recognized that he was compromised by the difficult start of the race.
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The competitor started from the back of the pack and had to recover from 19th place. Throughout the race, he managed to climb through the field and in the end came close to the points, but the number of laps ended before he could make a final attack, crossing the finish line in 11th.
“We had good pace and a real chance to score points, but our race was compromised by a bad start. Improving our starts is something we need to focus on as a team in the coming weeks. I lost several positions on the first lap, from P13 to P19, which made things difficult from then on. Being stuck in traffic for most of the race limited our opportunities to progress.
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“These cars are still quite tricky to drive with the current energy management and overtaking dynamics. It is possible to overtake, but you become vulnerable immediately after, so it’s a matter of balance at the moment.
“On the positive side, it was valuable to complete the race and collect a lot of data. There is a lot to analyze and improve, and with a month until Miami, we have time to analyze everything and come back stronger.”
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