Nico Hülkenberg finished on a high note during the free practice day of the Japanese Grand Prix in Formula 1. After two sessions on Friday (27), the German driver sees the beginning of the final weekend of the third stage of the 2026 season as a positive start.
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At Suzuka, the first activity started more discretely for the experienced competitor, who achieved 12th place, one position behind teammate Gabriel Bortoleto. In FP2, he became the ‘best of the rest’ finishing in seventh, behind the Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari pairs.
Therefore, evaluating this beginning of the Formula 1 stage in Japan, Hülkenberg showed he was satisfied overall with the performance presented by Audi.
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“A solid Friday overall. We had two sessions without problems, completed the entire program and built a good foundation. The car seems to be in a good starting point, so it’s a positive start”, he said.
“The midfield seems very balanced – closer than in the first two races – so it should be very competitive. We will analyze everything during the night, and the direction is clear, with a good foundation to build on for tomorrow”, he added.
