F1 News: Nico Hulkenberg Calls For Haas 'Review' Of Persistent Problems

During the recent Canadian Grand Prix, Haas F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg encountered pronounced difficulties with his race car, leading to a disappointing performance throughout the event. The German driver's race unravelled from the onset with a disappointing 17th-place start, well below his expected position and an early indication of the struggles that would plague his weekend in Montreal. He has since called for a review from the American team.

Amidst the rain-soaked conditions on race day, Hulkenberg, alongside teammate Kevin Magnussen, initially gained an edge by opting for full wet tires, propelling them into the top 10 in the opening laps. However, as the track dried, this initial advantage faded, leaving both drivers struggling. Despite retirements from key competitors like both Ferrari drivers and Red Bull Racing's Sergio Perez—providing a glimmer of hope for potential points—Haas was unable to capitalize.

Reflecting on the weekend's challenges, Hulkenberg voiced his frustrations, pinpointing a persistent issue that severely hampered his performance. He commented, as quoted by Autosport:

"The missed opportunity was [Saturday] and generally all weekend.

"The problem we've had on my car - that somehow it's not fully healthy, I think, on the aero side or somewhere."

The frustration was compounded by limited practice time on Friday. He continued:

"I still feel after the race that I have a problem with it, that is not fully at 100% where we're supposed to be. But you know, obviously, you do what you can with what you have.

"But obviously, also not having the Friday, not having time to react after that is... it's just altogether a difficult weekend with the circumstances."

The culmination of these issues resonated throughout the event, with Hulkenberg particularly troubled by the integration and response of his vehicle.

"The whole weekend, especially on my side of the garage, and from lap one, I didn't feel right and happy with the car and we need to investigate what was going on because that really compromised our weekend.

"Everything that happened, and then quali, cost us a better result because I'm sure with a better quali that we normally have, if we start further ahead, we would have scored points. So it's kind of a missed opportunity."

Looking ahead, Hulkenberg calls for an intense review of his car's underlying problems before the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix. The anticipated evaluation aims to identify and eradicate the persistent issues to prevent future performance lapses, underscoring the critical need for improved qualifying sessions to secure better start positions and potentially earn points.