On media day at the Chinese GP, Nico Hülkenberg discussed the changes Sauber introduced between pre-season testing in Bahrain and the F1 season opener in Australia to extract extra performance from the car.
During testing, Sauber’s C45 looked like one of—if not the—weakest car. While midfield contenders, such as Williams, appeared to have made noticeable gains, Sauber lagged behind.
The Hinwil-based team arrived in Melbourne with an upgraded car—and the difference was immediately evident. Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto outperformed his more experienced teammate in qualifying, reaching Q2 in his first full weekend as an F1 driver.
Hülkenberg was one of the biggest surprises on Sunday, recovering from a Q1 exit by capitalising on the chaos stemming from the changing conditions to finish P7. With 6 points on the board, Sauber has already exceeded its entire 2024 F1 points tally thanks to Hülkenberg’s performance.
Realistic expectations despite early success
Speaking in his print media session ahead of the Chinese GP, Hülkenberg was measured in his assessment of where Sauber currently stands.
“Yeah, difficult question, and I think it’s not very clear at this point,” Hülkenberg said. “I think in qualy on Saturday in Melbourne, it was pretty close actually, we weren’t that far away. So, quite compact there.”
Despite the positive signs, he acknowledged that his performance in mixed conditions during the race may not have been a true reflection of Sauber’s competitiveness in the dry.
“Then in race pace in the dry obviously we don’t know, we didn’t get to see that yet. My feeling is it’s close in the midfield, but probably we’re still a little bit on the wrong side of it at this moment in time. But, yeah, we’ll see here this weekend how it goes on this track with this characteristic.”
Asked whether Sauber’s performance in Australia came as a surprise, Hülkenberg responded, “I think we recovered quite a bit from Bahrain.
“In the days and the week after Bahrain we found a few things that weren’t ideal and optimum, so we definitely cleaned up some things. But I think there’s still more work to do.”
He cautioned against overinterpreting the result, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of opportunities that arise from such chaotic races.
“The race…obviously without the crazy circumstances and the safety car and the change of conditions, we would have not come to P7.
“That’s also very clear and we have to be realistic about that. But that’s racing, you have to use these opportunities when they come and that’s what we did. We stayed clean, we made some good calls and that’s why it was nice to take that one in the books already.”
Sauber made key change after Bahrain
Sauber had some homework to do between F1 pre-season testing and the first race of the season. Asked what specifically had changed between testing and Melbourne, Hülkenberg pointed to a key aerodynamic misstep.
“It was aero-related,” Hülkenberg explained. “It wasn’t the best configuration that we had and also I think not all the parts that we ran in Bahrain were designed around the 2025, the C45 car.
“The front wing in Bahrain was last year’s…because they pushed development on it. We only got the new, this year’s front wing for both cars in Melbourne. A few things that were then working better.”
He added that the tweaks included a combination of both set-up changes and the use of upgraded parts.
“Yeah, combination. It’s always more than one thing. It wasn’t just the front wing but that was obviously one essential piece of that.”
Hülkenberg still “finding his feet” at Sauber after F1 team switch
The German driver admitted that he is still adjusting to a new car philosophy and environment following his move from Haas to Sauber.
“I think the important thing is to focus on the job, keep working on the package, keep working on the car,” he said.
“For me, I’m still learning this car, I’m still finding my feet. For me personally, that is the most important thing. Just to get a better feeling in the car, to get better confidence. I think that’s at this stage probably the most powerful thing for me.”
He continued: “The car feels very different. That’s why it’s still early days in that respect.
“I expect over the next few race weekends that feeling and connection to the car will continue to grow. It’s kind of normal and natural when you see a driver changing teams that that phenomenon takes a bit of time.”
Hülkenberg conceded that switching to a team that uses the same power unit—Haas and Sauber are both currently Ferrari customer teams—has eased the transition.
“I think it helps. It’s obviously less of a change and less learning you’re having to do because it’s consistent. All that functionality is carried over and it’s actually pretty helpful not having to have that as well on top of everything else.”
A positive atmosphere within the team
Asked whether the solid start to the season has boosted morale after a difficult 2024 F1 season, Hülkenberg noted that, while he doesn’t have a direct comparison, the atmosphere at Sauber has generally been positive so far.
Former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley is set to take over as team principal in April, bringing valuable race-winning experience that could further benefit the team.
“I think the general atmosphere and mood is good,” Hülkenberg said.
“I think we all realise that we have still work to do and there’s always room for improvement in every aspect. But that’s the challenge. That’s the job. That’s what we’re here for. It feels like everyone is embracing it and happy to take that on.”
