In what was overall a hugely positive day for the Renault Sport Formula 1 Team in the third day of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, their newest driver, Nico Hülkenberg did not disappoint. Driving in the afternoon session, he finished the day fifth fastest, just behind fellow Renault driver, Jolyon Palmer.
The German driver helped to gather more data and miles for the team, completing 42 laps in his afternoon’s running. He felt as though his lap time of 1:21.791 (behind Palmer and just ahead of Marcus Ericsson) was slightly slower than he thought he could achieve due to some minor issues with the car.
“It’s a positive that we could complete more laps today. My time in the afternoon was slightly limited with some minor issues, but they were a valuable 42 laps and with some quality work done.”
He did, however, feel pleased with his growing understanding of the new car, as well as looking forward to the challenges of the final day of the first test.
“We are constantly improving our understanding of the car and I learnt a few bits and bobs myself. Tomorrow we’ll run on a wet track, which will be interesting. I’m open-minded with what to expect. It’s going to be interesting in the morning with a wet track and pretty cool conditions; it could be fun, I’m interested to see what it’s like.”
