In an interview with the official website of the championship, Nico Hulkenberg summed up the results of the tests, but carefully avoided any assessments of the speed capabilities of the Sauber car and only said that the team would only get a real idea of this in Melbourne.
Nico Hulkenberg: “The tests have flown by – the days seem to drag on for a long time, but they are over quickly. Of course, I am happy to start working with my new team and getting to know the car on track. There has been a lot of work, we have done a lot of laps, and it is good that we will now have a week to digest it all and analyse the information we have gathered.
There are only two weeks left until the start of the season in Melbourne, and I am really looking forward to it. Although the tests went well, to be honest, I don’t yet understand what level we are at, but our main task was to decide where to start working on further development of the car, to understand how it reacts to changes in settings. In general, for now we are talking about all these basic points.
Of course, there are many areas where we need to work, especially since the team lagged behind its rivals last year, so now we need to catch up. But only in Melbourne, when the racing starts, will we be able to really assess the balance of power.
In terms of how I got on with the team, things are going well. Since January I've spent quite a few days at the Hinwil base, including on the simulator, and I think it's going well, I like working with the engineers, with the team principal Mattia Binotto.
It is clear that when you come to another team, there is a lot to understand and figure out, and this is interesting in its own way. I would compare it to a situation where you build some new relationships. In particular, I got along well with Gabriel Bortoleto, my new teammate. He is a nice guy, very smart and at the same time very fast on the track. He also learns very quickly, and I will be happy to work with him throughout the season.”
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