Nico Hülkenberg admits Renault Sport Formula One Team had to try something different at the Japanese Grand Prix but it ultimately didn’t matter as the German was forced to retire midway through the race.
The German was knocked out in the first part of qualifying on Saturday at the Suzuka International Racing Course and was always on the backfoot.
Hülkenberg tried starting on the medium tyre but was unable to make it go as far into the race as the team hoped before they eventually retired.
“We tried a different strategy today, starting from sixteenth on the Medium tyre.
“We were able to show respectable pace relative to the others on softer tyres, but it was always going to be a tough battle starting from where we did.
“We thought we could make the Medium last a little bit longer than it did, and then it was unfortunate that I had to retire the car as something didn’t feel right at the rear after the pit stop.”
While Hülkenberg failed to score points, Renault team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr. finished tenth to score a point in the battle for fourth place in the constructors championship.
“Whilst there were no points for me today, Carlos and the team had a great race so it was a good effort at a crucial time in the championship battle.
“We know we have a lot of hard work ahead of us until the end of the season, but we’re still fighting hard.”
