Pre Race
Hulk hits the ring!
While Kevin Magnussen tackles the 24 Hours of Spa, Nico Hulkenberg is on duty at the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix – the first leg of a European double-header!
The German is aiming to score points for the third consecutive weekend, while the Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber squad is focused on maximizing the potential of new parts being introduced on the green cars in Austria.
“The last couple of weekends have marked a moderate step forward for us, and things are starting to fall into place. This weekend we’ve got some new parts on the car, so the key will be understanding how they behave. We’ll continue focusing on the finer details and putting everything together – just like we’ve been doing recently – to hopefully give ourselves another shot at scoring,” says Nico Hulkenberg.
The Sauber team got to work during the first two practice sessions on Friday – and though things didn’t run quite as smoothly as expected, the German race driver remains optimistic.
“It was one of those Fridays where things just didn’t quite come together. From FP1 to FP2, we switched to the updated floor and experimented with a few setup directions, but they didn’t deliver the improvements we were hoping for. But that’s what Fridays are for – collecting data, trying different things, and learning,” Hulkenberg adds.
Final practice takes place on Saturday, followed by Qualifying at 16:00 local time (CET). The 71-lap Austrian Grand Prix goes green on Sunday at 15:00.
Want to follow live? Watch every session on the official Formula 1 app.
Red Bull Ring Fun Facts:
- The most successful Formula 1 driver at the Red Bull Ring? That would be Max Verstappen – the Dutchman has claimed four pole positions and four wins in Austria.
- The lap record dates back to 2020, when Carlos Sainz – then driving for McLaren – lapped the 4.3 km circuit in 1:05.619.
- With just 10 corners, the Red Bull Ring has the fewest turns on the entire F1 calendar…
Qualifying
Big push ahead!
Not the ideal Saturday for Nico Hulkenberg, who looked strong in his opening run of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix – before a mistake on his final Q1 lap compromised his performance, leaving him 20th on the grid.
“Unfortunately, I made a mistake into Turn Four – I locked up the front right and ran wide, missing the apex. It was costly in terms of lap time and obviously frustrating, especially knowing the potential we had in the car today. It’s disappointing, no doubt, but the recent progress we’ve made has been encouraging,” says Nico Hulkenberg.
Nico’s teammate, Gabrielle Bortoletto, made it to Q3 and secured P8 – a clear sign that the upgrades are paying off and that the green Sauber is competitive heading into Sunday’s race.
“Starting from the back tomorrow won’t be easy, but we know our car has decent race pace. We’ll go through all the strategic options tonight and aim to fight our way back. Tomorrow is about maximising every opportunity and pushing hard to recover. Congrats to Gabi on his first Q3 appearance and P8 on the grid,” Nico adds.
Big push tomorrow, Nico! The 71-lap Austrian Grand Prix goes green on Sunday at 15:00 (CET)
Want to follow live? Watch every session on the official Formula 1 app.
Race Day
“It’s such a great feeling”
What a PHENOMENAL end to a weekend that started with the odds stacked against him! After an unlucky qualifying session that left Nico Hulkenberg starting the Austrian Grand Prix from the very back of the grid, the German ‘points machine’ battled his way through the field gaining 11 (!) positions – finishing 9th, one spot behind teammate Gabriel Bortoleto in 8th. That marks Hulkenberg’s third consecutive points-scoring race – and the first time Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber has scored in three races in a row since 2022!
“It’s such a great feeling to be in the points for the third race in a row – especially after a tough qualifying yesterday. We executed a solid race today: aggressive strategy, an early first stop, and we managed to make the tyres last while keeping up a strong pace. That paid off. I’ve always felt more confident in our race performance, and today we really maximised our opportunities,” said Nico after the race.
The Austrian Grand Prix also marked the team’s first double-points finish of the 2025 season – and with a total of 26 points, it underlines Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber’s status as a serious contender in the fight at the front of the midfield.
“We’ve shown consistently strong performance across three very different tracks now. Double points for the team is a fantastic result – and I’m really happy for Gabi, scoring his first points in Formula 1. Big congratulations to him, it’s well deserved. Another six points in the bag, a happy team, and positive momentum. Let’s keep pushing.”
Well done, Nico! We’re proud to support you and the team – and we can’t wait to see you back on track at Silverstone next week
📸 Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber
