Nico Hülkenberg expressed his pleasure in the Renault Sport Formula 1 Team extending their gap to the fifth placed McLaren F1 Team in the Constructors’s Standings after a double points finish for the French marque at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Hülkenberg’s seventh place marked the fifth time in seven races that the German has finished inside the points in 2018, again proving to be the best of rest outside of the top six drivers.
Speaking after the race, Hülkenberg noted the importance of ten championship points for the team ahead of the return of the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard in two weeks’ time – the start of Formula 1‘s summer triple-header.
“We executed the race well today and it was a good effort from everyone,” said Hülkenberg, who lies eighth in the Drivers’ Championship.
“Ten points in the Constructors’ Championship is positive for us and we’ve extended our lead in fourth ahead of our rivals.”
Despite being held up behind the Sahara Force India F1 Team car of Esteban Ocon in the early stages of the race, Hülkenberg used an extended first stint and took advantage of a sluggish pitstop for the Frenchman to leap ahead – also holding off the attentions of team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr.
“It was a close battle today,” he added. “I lost a position at the start, but I managed to get the overcut on Ocon by going two laps longer.
“He was holding me up a little bit on that first stint. From then, it was about managing the tyres, which was quite tough as degradation was kicking in towards the end.”
In line with the majority of the field, Hülkenberg kept to his one-stop strategy, keeping the super-soft tyres – the hardest compound that Pirelli Motorsport brought to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – for 56 laps.
