(Motorsport-Total.com) – For Audi, the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka ended with mixed feelings: eleventh place for Nico Hülkenberg meant another narrowly missed points result, while teammate Gabriel Bortoleto finished 13th.
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It initially looked like a solid starting position. But right at the start, the race took a decisive turn for Hülkenberg. “To be honest, I don’t know exactly what happened, but it was just a really bad start,” the German explained in an interview with Sky. Several positions were lost immediately – a setback that proved almost impossible to recover from during the rest of the race.
“I think I lost about five places, which obviously massively affects the rest of the race,” Hülkenberg continued. Instead of being able to look forward, he found himself in heavy traffic early on.
Traffic and overtaking remain major hurdles
The botched start was ultimately the turning point of a race in which, according to Hülkenberg, much more would have been possible. “With a normal start, points would definitely have been possible – that’s disappointing and frustrating,” he emphasized.
Particularly difficult: sustained overtaking under the current regulations. “Being stuck in traffic makes it extremely difficult to make progress – especially with today’s cars, energy management, and overtake mode,” Hülkenberg explained. Despite some successful maneuvers, the big leap forward did not materialize.
Technically, the problem also doesn’t seem to be fully understood yet. When asked if the starting difficulties might be related to the power unit, Hülkenberg remained vague: “I don’t know exactly. I have to look at it and talk to the engineers. But it’s definitely an issue – and not a good one.”
One thing is certain: the German dropped from P13 to P19 at the start – a setback that is almost impossible to compensate for under race conditions.
Audi sees progress despite missed points
Team Principal Mattia Binotto draws a nuanced conclusion after the race. “The race leaves mixed feelings – with positive aspects, but also clear areas for improvement,” he explained.
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Binotto particularly highlighted the reliability as a positive: both cars reached the finish line without problems, and the pit stops also went off without incident. “That is an important step forward for us,” said the Italian.
The car’s pace also provides optimism: “We have shown that we can be competitive in the top 10 range.” Hülkenberg’s recovery drive in particular underlined the potential of the package. “He fought his way through the field well and overtook some fast cars.”
Nevertheless, the missed points finish remains a clear disappointment. “The start compromised our race – we have to work on that,” Hülkenberg himself clarified.
According to Binotto, teammate Gabriel Bortoleto also would have had chances for a better result: “He had a strong weekend, but today we couldn’t provide him with the conditions to show his full potential.”
Starting problems as a key theme for upcoming races
Bottom line, there is a clear mission for Audi: starting performance must be improved. Because while pace and reliability are reasonably good, the battle for points is often decided in the first few meters.
Hülkenberg sums it up: “It’s a work in progress – and we definitely need to focus more on it.” Looking ahead to the coming races, this is likely where the key lies to finally turn solid approaches into tangible results.
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