Here's the thing about the midfield right now: it is genuinely on a knife's edge. At least that is how Nico Hulkenberg sees it heading into the Mexico City Grand Prix, where Audi arrive looking to bounce back after narrowly missing out on the top 10 last weekend at the United States Grand Prix.
Austin was a mix of promise and frustration for the team. Hulkenberg clawed his way back to finish 11th after an anti-stall issue at the start dropped him down the order, while his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto charged from the back of the grid up to 13th following power unit penalties. Despite missing the points, the raw speed was there, leaving both drivers hungry for more.
Austin was very positive. Since FP1, I felt amazing with the car. We were inside the top 10 for most of the sessions,
Audi currently sit eighth in the constructors' standings, trailing Haas by seven points. With five rounds left in the season, the target is clear. Hulkenberg made it brutally clear during Thursday's media day that perfection is the only currency that matters in this fight against the likes of Racing Bulls and Alpine. “I think we’re in striking distance, but we need to be flawless,” he said. “We need to be very clean, us drivers on the driving side and the team on the operational side, to really get those results. Otherwise, we’ll just be missing out.” It is a tight margin, and the German has personal experience with it, having finished 11th in three of the last four Grands Prix.
Bortoleto shares that quiet confidence, buoyed by a strong showing at the Circuit of The Americas where he showed top-10 pace through the practice sessions before his grid drop ruined his Sunday starting spot. “Austin was very positive. Since FP1, I felt amazing with the car. We were inside the top 10 for most of the sessions,” the Brazilian explained.
Now, with a clean grid ahead in Mexico—and fond memories of scoring a point here last year—Bortoleto believes hunting down Haas is entirely possible. The long straights might prove to be a bit of a pain for their machine, but the belief in the package remains high. Five races remain, and as Hulkenberg put it, it is all to play for.
