Nico Hulkenberg gears up with Renault F1 Team for the opening round of the 2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the 2019 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix – Albert Park.
The German presented his thoughts on how the RS19 is coping on the back of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
“It does feel similar to last year’s car but that’s not a huge surprise given a lot of it is quite stable from last year,” Hulkenberg said.
“I feel comfortable in the car and it was nice to go over 500 laps over the two weeks. We built up a good database ahead of Melbourne.
“We’ve certainly improved our package in many areas, but there are also many areas which we need to develop; that’s an ongoing story in Formula 1. We’re happy with our baseline.”
From a permanent race circuit to a street track, the 31-year old talks about his previous experience on the Albert Park layout.
“It’s always a challenge going from a two-week test on a smooth circuit to racing on a temporary street track,” Hulkenberg explained.
“You feel those bumps in the early Friday running and there’s usually a lack of grip as the course won’t have been rubbered in. Having said that, it does improve as the weekend goes on, once you grow more accustomed.
“The setting is very pretty inside Albert Park and it’s always packed with fans. There are some fast sections and good kerbs to ride which is satisfying when you get them right.
“It’s a great venue to start the year and I’m very excited to jump in the car for Free Practice 1.”
