Hulkenberg: Not a bad way to finish

Editor

With 137 laps on his final day of pre-season testing, Nico Hulkenberg says he is as prepared for the new season as he could possibly be.

The Force India driver put the VJM09 through its paces on the penultimate day at the Circuit de Catalunya.

It was a productive final outing for Hulkenberg, who hands the car over to Sergio Perez for the last day of testing.

Not only did he cover 137 laps but he also put in a qualifying simulation on the ultra-soft Pirelli tyres that put him third on the timesheets.

Hulkenberg's best, a 1:23.251, was 0.466s slower than the P1 time set by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

"137 laps was not a bad way to finish my pre-season," said Hulkenberg.

"It gave us a lot of indications about the tyres, including the new ultra-soft compound.

"They are grippier, a step forward from the super-soft, and we will need to learn how to make them work well.

"I feel we are as prepared as we could be, having gone through a few very productive days with no major interruptions.

"We went through our full test list again today and now we need to see where we pan out once we get to Melbourne.

"I see a lot of potential in the VJM09 and I know there is quite a lot in the pipeline, coming later in the season.

"It's very encouraging and I can't wait to get back to racing again."