Nico Hulkenberg was delighted after qualifying fifth at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday, and praised his Sahara Force India team for the effort they’ve put in to provide him with a competitive car.
A week on from his 24 Hours of Le Mans triumph with Porsche, the German driver felt he found a good rhythm during the qualifying hour, and revealed he has found some confidence driving the VJM08 this weekend.
“I’m feeling very happy with how things went today,” insisted Hulkenberg. “We knew we had a good chance to be in the top ten, so to be starting in fifth place is an excellent effort by the team.
“Q1 was fun on the drying track, but in Q2 and Q3 I found a really good rhythm and was able to deliver the laps when it mattered. I’m feeling happy and confident in the car at the moment and I think that showed with the result today.”
Hulkenberg is hopeful of being able to convert his top five grid slot into a decent haul of points on Sunday, and feels this will be possible if he and his team maximise every opportunity.
“Tomorrow will be a tough race because there are some quick cars behind us,” said Hulkenberg, “but we’ve already built a good foundation for a strong race.
“This track can sometimes spring surprises and we still don’t know what the weather will do tomorrow, but if we maximise things I’m sure we can score some good points.”
