Nico Hulkenberg is looking forward to the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend after a good start to the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship in Australia.
The Sahara Force India driver finished seventh in Melbourne ahead of the Williams Martini Racing of Valtteri Bottas, and Hulkenberg believes the Silverstone-outfit started the season in the right way by getting points in the first race after the red flag caused by Fernando Alonso and Esteban Gutierrez cost them some positions.
“We’ve started the season in the right way by getting some points on the board,” said Hulkenberg. “Even though we had the potential to come away from Australia with many more. The red flag came out at the worst possible moment for our strategy and that cost us some positions, but we still managed to fight back and come away with an important seventh place: I am happy with that.
“Next up is Bahrain, which is a special place. As a circuit, it’s very different to Melbourne: it’s not bumpy at all; it’s very smooth and it’s full of slow corners. There are a several overtaking spots and the whole track, with long straights and big braking zones, makes for some great wheel-to-wheel racing. It’s a track that rewards attacking, so hopefully we will see lots of action in the race. And of course, it’s a night race so the atmosphere of the whole event is very different!”
The German believes they have potential to score another strong result at the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend, at one of his favourite events of the season.
“One of my favourite things about Bahrain is the paddock. It looks like it’s straight out of ‘One Thousand and One Nights’,” added Hulkenberg. “With the lights and buildings all adding to the atmosphere. It’s one of my favourite events of the season. We will arrive there in a good place and we have the potential to get another strong result.”
