Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg explains how Sergio Perez kept him at bay in the Red Bull and scored two points in the Formula 1 night race in Singapore
Nico Hülkenberg speaks of a “reconciliatory end” at the Singapore Grand Prix 2024, in which he took ninth place and two world championship points for Haas. And that despite the fact that he was “actually under pressure the whole race,” as Hülkenberg emphasized in an interview with Sky and ORF.
The second half of the race was particularly exhausting: During this phase, Hülkenberg had Sergio Perez’s Red Bull behind him. Hülkenberg describes this as “somehow unpleasant”. On top of that, he was affected by the swirling air from Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin at the front. “That’s why it wasn’t easy. And that’s why I’m satisfied that we got through it,” says Hülkenberg.
Hülkenberg describes Saturday’s qualifying as the “cornerstone” for success in the Grand Prix, which he completed “very well” in sixth place. He then delivered a “flawless race” and is “happy” with the result.
“The car performed relatively well. I think we can finish in the top 10 and be on a par with Aston, so that’s generally positive and we’ll take that with us into this break.”
Only the loss of position to Alonso hurts him, says Hülkenberg. ”We have to take another strategic look at what happened there.”
And the analysis by Haas will show that the slightly earlier tire change by Alonso on lap 25 backfired on Hülkenberg because he only stopped on lap 29 – and Alonso gained an advantage as a result. Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes and Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari were out of reach for Hülkenberg anyway. This explains the loss of places in the race compared to the starting grid.
How demanding the Singapore race really is
But it was not only the situation on the race track that made the race “very exhausting”, but also the high air temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius and the humidity of around 75 percent.
“I lost a few feathers,” says Hülkenberg, and ‘definitely lost two or three kilograms of weight over the race distance.’ ‘But that’s how it should be in professional sports, right? I think in soccer and tennis, you see the guys fighting and struggling at the end, too. And it’s good that this element still exists in Formula 1.’
Especially since races like Singapore are the exception, as Hülkenberg believes. Otherwise, these extremes only exist in Qatar, where it is less humid but very dry and hot. This puts a strain on a Formula 1 driver, especially in slow corners. “It really feels like you have a hot air dryer in your face,” says Hülkenberg. ”We were cooked a bit in the race.”
That also takes a toll on concentration. Hülkenberg points to “a few moments” in the race “when you think you’re in a low right now.” It helps to take a few sips, he says. “You then say to yourself, ‘Come on, pull yourself together! There’s something at stake here!’ But this heat is really grueling and not to be underestimated,” says Hülkenberg.
The German was asked how he recovers from it. His answer: “Sleep as much as possible on the plane. Eat and drink, and just close your eyes.”
