Hulkenberg wants more from Sauber to get season back on track
Nico Hulkenberg thinks Sauber still needs to push hard in bringing further updates to its car before it is able to feel its season is back on track
The German and team-mate Esteban Gutierrez have struggled with rear end stability this season, with Sauber's Melbourne package having not delivered the step forward it had hoped.
The Sauber C32 was fitted with a new rear wing and further aerodynamic tweaks for China. And although the team believes the changes have produced a step forward, Hulkenberg thinks Sauber is not in the position it wants to be just yet.
When asked by AUTOSPORT if more was needed, Hulkenberg said: "Yes. Before we really are able to fight in Q3 and the top 10.
"I think there is more potential for us still in there. It is early days in the season but we still need to move quickly and make changes to push that forward because we can make some big gains with that."
Hulkenberg thinks that Sauber cannot yet seriously target the kind of form it was able to produce last year, but he thinks the outfit is moving forward.
"I think the updates are a step forward, and definitely we benefit from it and we gain from it," he said. "But how much of that I am not quite sure.
"My option run [on Friday] was compromised by traffic, with two Mercedes in five corners in a row, but the gaps to the front look quite big.
"The Mercedes seem to be in a different world and [Felipe] Massa had some quick times there at the front, which we cannot fight for at the moment.
"We have made a step forward. But how big it is, I am not sure right now."
AUTOSPORT Chinese GP coverage:
FP1 FP2 FP3 Qualifying Race Gallery Live commentary Official quotes
The problems Formula 1 can't ignore
Chinese GP: Alonso keeps Ferrari on top in FP3
The combination behind the Silverstone racing battles Hamilton called "F1 at its best"
OPINION: The late battling in the British Grand Prix wowed Formula 1 fans and surely represents the best racing action of the season so far. And there was a cocktail of factors that created the action, from which Carlos Sainz emerged as a popular new winner
How Ferrari’s Monaco headache became its Silverstone migraine
OPINION: Ferrari won the British Grand Prix with Carlos Sainz, but it ultimately cost Charles Leclerc a chance to make a bigger dent in Max Verstappen's title lead by leaving the Monegasque out on old tyres towards the end. Like Monaco, indecision over strategy proved to be the Scuderia's biggest issue - and if the team doesn't reflect, the headache can only intensify
The five factors behind Sainz winning a British GP he’d twice lost
Formula 1 has a newest race winner, in a grand prix the victor appeared to have lost twice, only to charge back to headline a sensational and dramatic British Grand Prix. From a massive start crash to a late sprint finish, here’s how five factors saw Carlos Sainz take his maiden grand prix win
Why there was no case to answer in Aston’s latest F1 copycat saga
The appearance of a revised Aston Martin in Spain caused controversy but PAT SYMONDS explains why the FIA investigation found the Silverstone team had no case to answer
Why it's Red Bull that really leads a three-way fight so far at Silverstone
After a slow start to Friday at Silverstone, all the Formula 1 teams had to effectively cram in a day’s worth of practice into one hour. But there was still plenty to learn and while Ferrari topped the times, a three-way battle is brewing ahead of the British Grand Prix
Why the future is bright for the British GP
It wasn’t so long ago the situation looked bleak at Silverstone with the future of the British Grand Prix under threat. But a transformation has seen it restored to one of the most important races on the Formula 1 calendar, with bigger and better to come
Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?
For the first time in many years, none of the local racers starts among the favourites for the British Grand Prix. But George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris could have reasons for optimism
Verstappen exclusive: Why F1’s champion isn’t fazed by Silverstone return
Max Verstappen is the world’s number one racing driver… and he’s determined to keep it that way. Speaking exclusively to GP Racing's OLEG KARPOV, the Red Bull driver explains why he’s relishing the 2022 championship battle with Charles Leclerc – and why he’s not worried about returning to Silverstone, the scene of the biggest accident of his career last year