Nico Hulkenberg declared Haas as a bonafide midfield outfit after a double-points finish in the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix claiming the team “can fight everyone”.
Hulkenberg put in another impressive qualifying display last weekend at the Red Bull Ring to line up ninth on Sunday’s Austrian GP grid.
The 36-year-old German converted that into a doubly impressive sixth place result in the Grand Prix and his Haas Formula 1 team-mate Kevin Magnussen went from 12th on the grid to eighth by the time the chequered flag fell.
Haas’ charge was helped by the misfortune of Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc alike, but nonetheless the team showed true pace to pick up valuable points and Hulkenberg was rightly jubilant post-race.
“Yeah, very happy,” the German said.
“Double points for the team and in a big way, so didn’t expect that, obviously one car out or something but still, amazing team performance today and this weekend.
“I think it’s confirmed now that we’re midfield on all sorts of different tracks, we are competitive, we can fight everyone.
“That’s really great news and I’m very happy about that.”
Hulkenberg finished sixth courtesy of tight late race battle with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and he admitted it was pretty “touch and go” hauling his Haas F1 machine across the line ahead of the Mexican.
“I was really pushing hard to keep Checo [Perez] behind, but the last two laps my tyres were really done with it,” Hulkenberg explained.
“I almost lost the car completely out of Turn 10 in a big way, went onto the gravel a bit and then had a big tank-slapper.
“Then he came by, but into [Turn] 3 I kind of let him edge in front so I could have DRS for the next straight, which obviously put me back in front.
“Then luckily it was [the] final lap because I would have not survived another lap!”
Haas outscored Alpine 12 points to one in Austria to reclaim seventh in the Constructors’ standings with 19 points so far this campaign.
That puts the American squad 10 points ahead of its rivals and this was due to a combined effort from Haas’ drivers.
Magnussen, like Hulkenberg, was in high sports after Haas scored its first points since the Miami Sprint in May.
Hailing a “good bunch of points for the team,” the Dane she he “Couldn’t be happier, back in the game for P7 in the championship, and just great to be back.
“It has been a smooth weekend, good qualifyings with no traffic – well managed there,” he added. “Two good pit stops in the race, strategy spot-on, so couldn’t have asked for more.”
