Hulkenberg Better Than Bottas In ‘Driver Feedback’

Large 2025 Chinese Grand Prix Friday
SHANGHAI, CHINA - MARCH 21: Nico Hulkenberg of Germany and Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber talks with Steven Petrik, Race Engineer of Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber in the garage during Sprint Qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on March 21, 2025 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Andy Hone/LAT Images)
Large 2025 Chinese Grand Prix Friday
SHANGHAI, CHINA - MARCH 21: Nico Hulkenberg of Germany and Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber talks with Steven Petrik, Race Engineer of Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber in the garage during Sprint Qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on March 21, 2025 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Andy Hone/LAT Images)

Simply changing the driver lineup will eventually pay off in actual lap time, confident Sauber technical boss James Key has declared.

Having ousted Guanyu Zhou and Valtteri Bottas in favour of rookie Gabriel Bortoleto and veteran Nico Hulkenberg for 2025, the Audi-owned team got off to a good start in Australia.

Throughout most of 2024, Sauber struggled to score even a single point – and ended up with just 4 overall to finish dead last in the constructors’ championship.

But Hulkenberg’s move from Haas to Sauber immediately paid off for the Hinwil-based team – with 6 points in Melbourne.

“It gives us courage and self-confidence,” said Key. “Everyone obviously wants to repeat this result now. That was something we lacked last year. We lost a bit of faith,” he told Auto Motor und Sport.

Rookie Bortoleto’s manager – and competitor – Fernando Alonso says the 20-year-old also deserves early praise, despite his Melbourne crash. “He’s the best of the new generation,” Alonso said in Shanghai, “together with Ollie (Bearman).”

Sauber’s Key, however, is particularly pleased that signing one of F1’s most experienced drivers – Hulkenberg – appears to have more than paid off.

“Nico has been truly brilliant so far,” he said. “With his experience, he can explain calmly and clearly what the car is doing. That helps us enormously.

“He has a very good feel for what’s happening around him in the cockpit. He can sense even the smallest details and communicate them very well.”

Key admits Hulkenberg, 37, is already playing his role of the team’s most experienced driver better than Bottas, who is now Mercedes’ reserve driver.

“The team hasn’t had such good driver feedback for a long time,” he said. “We’re getting completely fresh insights. This has led us to look in new directions we hadn’t even considered before.

“Unfortunately, it will take some time before this is reflected in the car.”

From F1 news to tech, history to opinions, F1 Chronicle has a free Substack. To deliver the stories you want straight to your inbox, click here.

New to Formula 1? Check out our Glossary of F1 Terms, and our Beginners Guide to Formula 1 to fast-track your F1 knowledge.

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

More in News

250530 Sfhp F1 R09 Spagna Ca R0915023 E47f5afb 8155 4d3f 9b20 0daac660dda8

Lewis Hamilton Asks Ferrari To Focus On 2026 Car

Lewis Hamilton thinks it may be time for Ferrari to ...
Arvid Lindblad

FIA Could Green-Light Arvid Lindblad For F1 Next Week

Arvid Lindblad could be on the Formula 1 grid soon. ...
2025 Spanish Grand Prix, Sunday - Toto Wolff (image courtesy Mercedes)

Angry Taxi Drivers Hit Back At Mercedes’ Toto Wolff

Italian taxi drivers have amusingly returned fire at Mercedes team ...
Was Crashgate A Real Thing? - Piquet Never Intended To 'Harm' Massa

Briatore ‘Never Spoke’ With Piquet About Crashgate

Flavio Briatore has reiterated his innocence some decade and a ...
F1 Grand Prix Of Abu Dhabi Practice

Verstappen Deserved FIA’s Spanish GP Slap – Marko

Dr Helmut Marko says Max Verstappen deserved to be penalised ...

Trending on F1 Chronicle