Hülkenberg: 2014 was my best season

Nico Hülkenberg competed in his 4th Formula 1 season in 2014, the second with the Sahara Force India team after 2012. Returning to the Indian team after a year with the Sauber F1 team, the German performed well throughout the year – 10 consecutive points finishes in the first 10 Grand Prix and only two retirements and two finishes outside the top 10 in the 19 races contested, resulting in 15 points finishes out of a possible 19.

He finished 9th in the drivers’ championship with 96 points in 19 Grand Prix, his best points total since his F1 debut, which delights him, as he stated in an interview with the official Formula 1 website: “I think overall, I’m quite satisfied with [my 2014 season]. It was my best season in terms of points scored and my position in the championship. The first half of the season was a lot of fun – that was when the car was most competitive and we took advantage of it. The four 5th place finishes were the results we worked hard for, and those were key moments. […] The second half of the season was more complicated. Things didn’t go my way, and I had some bad luck in several races. But it was nice to finish the season with a good result in Abu Dhabi [a 6th place finish, Ed.].”

Even though he has largely outperformed his teammate, Sergio Pérez – 96 points against 59 for the Mexican, the latter achieved the team’s best performance in 2014 with his 3rd place in Bahrain. Hülkenberg considers Pérez an excellent teammate who allows him to be even better: « Checo is a very strong teammate, which is a good thing because it helps me extract the best from myself. The first year with Rubens [Barrichello, in 2010 at Williams] was interesting and difficult. He was very fast. He also taught me a lot. My relationship with Checo is very competitive but also healthy. We both want to beat each other but everything goes well, and we work together to improve the team. »

In 2015, the German driver will participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche in addition to his involvement in the F1 World Championship, and he is eager to drive a new car and experience this mythical race: « I completed my first test with the Porsche 919 a few days ago. My first impressions are very positive, even though I have little experience with this type of car. Driving at Le Mans is something I have always wanted to do. It is a legendary race. So, of course, I am looking forward to taking on this extra challenge in 2015. »