Nico Hulkenberg has touched on the growing influence of Jonathan Wheatley since his arrival at the Sauber team.
“There is change happening; there is progress on that side.”- Nico Hulkenberg
The 38-year-old, speaking to GPblog, highlighted how years of underwhelming performance have taken a toll on the team before noting how Wheatley is driving positive change within the Swiss-based outfit.
“It’s a process. The last few years have been tough and about survival for the team, and that leaves something behind. It’s still within people, but it’s a shift of momentum – a process to move away from that and work and develop in the other direction," he said.
“Of course, the highlights we’ve achieved this year help everyone in terms of self-belief. It shows we can actually get things done if we do a great job and perform well. There is change happening; there is progress on that side.”
Wheatley joined the Sauber outfit as team principal in April following his departure from Red Bull Racing. The 58-year-old has since led the team to its highest points-scoring season and a podium finish since taking over the reins, with Hulkenberg achieving third-place finish at the British Grand Prix.
Hulkenberg also weighed in on his favourite part of the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) track. The Kick Sauber driver pointed out the first sector as his favourite part of the Austin circuit.
“It’s a fantastic circuit. I really love racing here. My favourite part, Sector 1, is always fantastic – it’s just so quick, and the change of direction there is fun and cool. But I also like Turns 12 to 15; the technical, tight stuff is quite fun," he said.
The German driver boasts fond memories of racing at the American circuit, including a sixth-place finish for the Sauber team during the 2013 campaign. During the 2024 edition of the Grand Prix, Hulkenberg also recorded a double points-scoring finish for Haas, clinching eighth place in both the Sprint and the race, respectively.
Stay on top of the action, never miss a moment with our paddock update. Catch the news and scoop when you follow us on Spotify and YouTube. Check out our latest paddock update episode here 👇