F1 News: Nico Hulkenberg Reaching End Of Line - "Can't Keep The Pace Up"

Amid persistent tyre woes for Haas, Nico Hulkenberg voices concerns over catching up to Williams this season.

Nico Hulkenberg admits that catching Williams before the 2023 season ends seems a distant dream for Haas. His concerns come as Haas’ VF-23 continues to show disappointing performances.

Key Takeaways:

• Haas’ VF-23 car has been underperforming due to rapid tyre degradation and poor aerodynamics.
• Williams gained 10 points post-summer break, distancing themselves from Haas.
• Hulkenberg expressed concerns over the car's pace and performance, especially after the Italian Grand Prix.
• Alfa Romeo, chasing the seventh position, is optimistic about their upcoming upgrade in Singapore.
• Williams' Albon reflects on the significance of accumulating points and has concerns about future tracks but remains hopeful for Las Vegas.

In the backdrop of the 2023 Formula 1 season, Haas has been grappling with its VF-23 car, which, as critics note, degrades tyres faster than rival cars. This technical shortcoming led Haas to lose out on several opportunities to maximise their race starts and points taken home. Over the past five rounds, they haven’t added to their point tally whatsoever, whereas Williams has secured a commendable 10 points since the summer break with Alex Albon, widening the gap between the American and British teams.

Looking back at the Italian Grand Prix, a dejected Hulkenberg said: 

“To be honest, Williams, they look like they’re gone.” He added, “They and McLaren obviously made huge progress this year and I don’t see how we can turn this around unless we find something really magic.

"On the low-downforce package, once the tyre has gone through the fresh kind of tyre life, it’s just one direction and that’s backwards.

"Can’t keep the pace up, using more tyre. So, it was one of the toughest and worst races of the season.”

To add salt to the wound, the championship has Alfa Romeo also chasing the seventh position. They are currently only one point behind Haas. The Italian Grand Prix saw Valtteri Bottas ending Alfa Romeo's five-race dry spell. The team is hopeful as they are set to introduce an upgrade in Singapore. Bottas voiced his concerns, stating: 

“It’s a bit worrying, but we’ve got an upgrade for Singapore. If that gets us closer, then [seventh] is still possible. But if not, then it’s going to be tricky.”

Despite having a car that was expected to shine in Monza, Williams had its eyes on the prize a week before at Zandvoort. 

Albon, who put on a noteworthy performance, remarked: 

“We need to use these races, these weekends to try and pull that gap from that kind of constructors’ championship point of view.” 

Albon's concerns for upcoming tracks such as Brazil are palpable but he remains hopeful about Las Vegas.

With AlphaTauri taking on more of Red Bull's RB19 next year, if Haas doesn't make severe changes, they could certainly be left in the dust.