Nico Hulkenberg comments on his Mexico GP struggles and challenges

Nico Hulkenberg attributes his struggles qualifying for the Mexican GP to the track characteristics. Speaking to media including Sportskeeda, after the session, the Haas driver noted that his pace was inconsistent throughout the weekend.

Qualifying tenth on the grid, Hulkenberg secured the final points-scoring position but expressed dissatisfaction with his performance. He felt there was more time to be gained and that he couldn’t fully maximize his car's potential. He attributed his struggles to the challenges posed by the high-altitude circuit, where they felt lighter and harder to optimize within their working window.

The 37-year-old driver believes low grip levels further complicated his ability to build consistent momentum throughout the weekend. Asked by Sportskeeda if his struggles were related to the track characteristics, Hulkenberg said:

“I think it's just it's a typical Mexico scenario you know, the the thin air just makes the car feel light and it's hard to find the sweet spots and then to get that you know grip the bite grip feeling. It's you know quite common here. But I don't know this year maybe a little bit more don't know why but it's just the way it is.”

Asked if he could have finished further than tenth, Nico Hulkenberg said:

“Yeah, definitely. Yeah, particularly last run obviously on new tyres. It's been a struggle to be honest, all weekend long. I'm struggling to find the good rhythm and to get the kind of back to you know back to beginning and struggle for rhythm and harmony. So yeah it's been a challenging weekend from that point of view. So yeah it's been a challenging weekend from that point of view and quali was the same. Some laps good some laps just really kind of a struggle and yeah the last one in Q3 wasn't good unfortunately.”

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Nico Hulkenberg avoids predicting Haas’ race pace in Mexico

Nico Hulkenberg believes that the race pace of their car remains uncertain, as most drivers tested the 2025 Pirelli compounds during the second free practice session. He says the true competitiveness on regular tires will only become clear during the race. Asked what he expected from the race pace on Sunday, he said:

“I think it's a question mark because nobody got to try the normal medium and hard yesterday. So a bit of an unknown and I think we'll only really find out tomorrow once we start racing.”

Asked what he felt about the car package and its potential, he said:

“That it's competitive or we have a decent package.”

Haas has overtaken VCARB in the constructors’ championship, claiming sixth place with a narrow two-point lead over the Red Bull sister team. With both VCARB drivers starting outside the top 10 in the Mexican GP, Haas has a strong opportunity to extend their advantage.

Kevin Magnussen will start from seventh on the grid, while Nico Hulkenberg lines up in 10th. Both drivers are well-positioned for a potential double-points finish in the race.