Nico Hulkenberg hailed Kick Sauber’s “huge step” ahead on the Spanish Grand Prix that allowed him to safe his finest race outcome since 2019 as he crossed the road in sixth place earlier than rising to fifth due to Max Verstappen’s 10-second penalty.
Of their last season beneath the Kick Sauber identify, with Audi taking over the staff to coincide with 2026’s regulation adjustments, the Swiss-based staff have struggled to persistently rating factors – a promising seventh place for Hulkenberg within the season opener was their solely top-10 end till this weekend.
The German was outqualified by his rookie staff mate Gabriel Bortoleto in Spain as he was knocked out within the first stage of Qualifying, leaving him to begin the Grand Prix from fifteenth on the grid after Lance Stroll withdrew with an injury.
His fortunes modified as an early first pit cease and sequence of overtakes noticed Hulkenberg break into the points-scoring positions by the point the Security Automotive was referred to as, and a late overtake on Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton earned him P5 on the chequered flag as soon as Verstappen’s penalty was utilized.
