06 Jul 2012

Nico Hülkenberg scored his best ever result when he finished fifth in Valencia a fortnight ago. On the eve of Sahara Force India’s local race in Silverstone he spoke about his hopes for the weekend and the rest of the season.

Are you hopeful of repeating the sort of result you achieved in Valencia?
“In the end that’s the target and it’s what we’re here for, and we’re trying to achieve. We’ve got some new parts on our car here. So do the others, but certainly we’re here to get into the top 10, and try for a good result again. I don’t think this circuit fits us as well as Valencia, but as I said we have new parts and also some set-up variations and options which hopefully will make us look strong again.”

The team’s form has improved recently. Is that down to development?
“I think from a lot of the teams we are the most consistent. We have been in the midfield a lot, but we are there all the time. Other teams have peaks, ups and downs, and I think we have been one of the most consistent. I think we follow a good development path. Of course a P5 in Valencia looks good, but you also have to say that four people in front of us dropped out who would have been there under normal circumstances. So far we have always been strong when other people struggled or did mistakes and we did the right thing and picked up the points.”

It’s clear this year that many teams have the ability to score good results. Does that change your approach?
“There are a lot of good cars and a lot of good drivers. It’s so close, you’ve just got to – like always – go to the absolute maximum with yourself, your car, your engineer and the set-up. Because if you find those one or two extra tenths, that can make a huge difference and you suddenly find yourself in the top five.”

Valencia was your best ever result. What has that done for your confidence?
“Of course it’s a boost and it gives you confidence and momentum. A good result is always a big relief and a lot of emotions for my team, and for me. So for sure it was good. But we know we still need to keep our heads down, develop the car and do the work. We’re eighth in the constructors’, and that’s not where we want to be. Williams and Sauber are in front of us, Williams by one point, Sauber by a little bit more. Their cars and their performance are quite strong, so we need to dig deep and keep pushing.”

How aware are you that this is the home race for the team and thus it’s a big deal for everybody?
“A home race is always special, our factory is right here. Obviously it’s a bit busier, more people than normal. But for me on the track it doesn’t change anything.”

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