No sooner has Formula 1 really got going than drivers and fans are faced with a break of almost a month. Nico Hulkenberg would like to continue driving immediately.
There are 27 days between the Australian Grand Prix, which Max Verstappen won, and the next race in Azerbaijan. An unusually long break, so shortly after the start of the season.
The free space on the Formula 1 calendar was by no means planned, the premier class actually wanted to stop in Shanghai on April 16th. But the Chinese Grand Prix will not take place in 2023 either – for the fourth time in a row.
The F1 makers had already decided last December to cancel the race without replacement due to the difficult Corona situation at the time. In previous years, it was also not possible to drive in China due to the pandemic.
The break is anything but pleasant, especially for the teams that have been in good form recently. And so Nico Hülkenberg, the only regular German driver in the field, would like to be back in the car as soon as possible. The 35-year-old veteran, who replaced Mick Schumacher in Haas at the turn of the year, was able to finish seventh in Melbourne despite adverse circumstances.
F1 driver Nico Hülkenberg: “Now the plug is being pulled”
“That’s not ideal,” said Hülkenberg to “Bild” about the almost four-week break: “Now we have rhythm, now we have momentum – and now the plug is being pulled. It’s an early summer break. I’d rather not have it , but I can’t do anything about it.”
The good thing: Hülkenberg now has time with his family, and he can also regenerate after the stressful first few months because: “The cars are physically quite demanding.”
Meanwhile, for those racing teams that didn’t get anything to gain in the first few races, the break could be a welcome opportunity to further develop their cars.
