Hulkenberg scores Audi's first F1 points with P9 in Hungarian GP: 'It's been a long time coming'

Nico Hulkenberg gave Audi its first Formula 1 points by finishing ninth in the Hungarian Grand Prix, executing a two-stop strategy and a decisive late-race overtake to secure two points. The German started 10th and used soft tyres in the closing stages to pass teammate Gabriel Bortoleto and Racing Bull's Arvid Lindblad.

"Obviously better to have points than not. It's been a long time coming this season," said Hulkenberg, who finished two seconds behind Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson after being caught by the leading cars when a battle with the New Zealander looked possible. "There were many occasions and opportunities this year where it should've happened but it didn't for various reasons, so that was annoying but that's racing sometimes for you. I and the team knew it's there — it was just a matter of time and putting it together. Finally, the piece fell into place. We converted a solid job yesterday [in Qualifying] and today we got the reward."

The points move Audi ahead of Williams in the constructors' standings, with the German manufacturer eighth in its first F1 season heading into the summer break. The result also marks three consecutive scoring weekends for Audi, following Bortoleto's eighth-place finishes in Britain and Belgium.

Bortoleto, meanwhile, endured a difficult race in Hungary, finishing 11th and outside the points after opting for a one-stop strategy on hard tyres. "I think I gave it all. It obviously was not an easy race. I tried a one-stop strategy — it was tough to make it work, obviously, with the hard tyre being quite a bad compound compared to the soft. I had to extend that first stint a lot and survive like 30 laps on the soft. After that, putting on the hard, I survived another 20 laps and then after that it was pure deg, so a tough one."

Sources

• [Formula1.com — Hulkenberg reflects on scoring first points for Audi in Hungarian GP](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/its-been-a-long-time-coming-hulkenberg-reflects-on-scoring-first-points-for-audi-in-hungarian-gp.5JaHF3404ebIJQn5rbWhDm)