Nico Hulkenberg’s summer purple patch at Silverstone, where he finally broke his podium duck, has since given way to a tougher run of results – but Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley insists there’s no reason to panic.
The German veteran hasn’t scored a point since that breakthrough third place at the British Grand Prix,
and with rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto stealing the spotlight, his recent struggles have prompted suggestions that he’s slipped into a slump.
Yet Wheatley remains unconvinced, the Sauber team boss pointing to the cutthroat midfield battle as the real culprit behind the Hulk’s drop in form.
“No Fundamental Issue”
“It’s a question I’m being asked more and more often now,” Wheatley admitted when pressed on Hulkenberg’s recent dip.
“I personally don’t feel there’s any fundamental issue here.
“Nico is a tremendously experienced and fast racing driver. And many, many times he’s been outqualified by a thousandth, or hundredth. Do you know what I mean? It’s not always like a big thing.”
©Sauber
Hulkenberg’s recent record tells a mixed story. He was sidelined by a hydraulic issue before the race had even begun in Italy, finished no higher than 12th in the three races before that, and slipped to 16th in Azerbaijan – five places behind Bortoleto.
By contrast, the young Brazilian has collected 14 points across the same period with three top-10 finishes. But Wheatley points out that in today’s ultra-tight midfield, small details can make all the difference.
“Just a Transient Thing”
Sauber currently sits eighth in the Constructors’ Championship with 55 points, only seven behind Aston Martin and within striking distance of Racing Bulls. With Haas and Alpine also showing flashes of pace, consistency has become the defining challenge.
“We spent a lot of time talking about Nico had never been on the podium, and we’ve done that now, and I honestly think it’s just a transient thing,” Wheatley explained.
“Gabrielle’s fast as well, and if one of them gets a lap right, one of them is going to out-qualify the other. And I think Gabrielle certainly been a run of circuits where he’s more familiar with and with Nico, I don’t think there’s anything big to get over. He’ll just string it together.
“He had a great run in [final practice in Baku], we had every confidence going in, but then that bump into the wall meant that he didn’t have a baseline for his next run.
“That’s the trouble, if you want to progress through qualifying at the moment, you need to get Run 1 right, in the bank, and then you can start chipping away at your lap time.”
With Sauber still well in the fight for sixth in the standings, Wheatley’s message is clear: Hulkenberg’s form may have dipped, but the team has faith the veteran will soon find his groove again.
Read also: Bortoleto sees better days ahead for Sauber after Baku bummer
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