Nico Hülkenberg finished an excellent fifth fastest in practice under the lights at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Friday, and admitted to having a good feeling with his car all day long.
The Renault Sport Formula 1 Team racer had finished the opening session in Singapore ninth fastest but improved in both time and position in the evening session, ending up in fifth, behind only the two Red Bull Racing and two Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team drivers.
Hülkenberg felt it was a positive start to the weekend as he looks to return to the points after a low-key weekend last time out at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza ended with a thirteenth place finish.
“We had a standard yet positive Friday here in Singapore, the performance in FP2 was quite good,” said Hülkenberg. “I was feeling happy with the car all day and that’s what is most important to me right now.
“I definitely had some good balance and harmony, there is always room for improvement but definitely a good start to the weekend.”
Team-mate Jolyon Palmer, who earlier in the day found out that he would not be driving for the team in 2018 thanks to the announcement that Carlos Sainz Jr will take his place, was unable to match the German in either session, ending tenth fastest in the first session and fourteenth in the second, but he too felt it was not such a bad day in Singapore.
“Overall it was a good session, I’m quite happy and the car is in a good place,” said Palmer. “I touched the wall in the evening session so we have a bit of minor fine tuning to do overnight.
“We are in a good place for tomorrow.”
