Hulkenberg: New venues are cool

Editor

Nico Hulkenberg has revealed his excitement at racing at the inaugural European Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit.

The German is hoping to continue his fine point-scoring performances at this weekend’s race after finishing eighth at the Canadian Grand Prix, taking his point tally for the season up to 18.

Seeing as it is the first time F1 drivers will race in Azerbaijan, Hulkenberg admitted that it will be challenging but did add that it will make for an exciting GP.

“I’m massively excited about the race in Baku, actually! New venues are cool; everything is fresh and everyone welcomes you,” the 28-year-old explained.

“I have to admit I don’t know a lot about Azerbaijan, so it will be exciting to get to know this new place.

“I haven’t had a chance to try it in the simulator yet but I saw the video on YouTube earlier last week. In any case, it really is all about getting there, getting into the car and finding out about the track in those first few laps.

“The layout looks fast, especially for a street circuit: there is a massive straight, with just a few flat-out kinks, and some more twisty sections which will require a compromise in terms of set-up.

“I am a big fan of street circuits: they provide you with unique thrills, you drive close to the walls and it’s much more of a challenge to push your car and yourself to the limit.”