24h Le Mans
In tandem with his win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nico H
Prior to the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the third Porsche 919 Hybrid, shared with Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber, Nico Hülkenberg's early season with Force India was difficult, with as sole points result a seventh place finish in Australia after the Grand Prix season opener.
On the other hand, it was during his marathon between Formula 1 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans that the German driver crossed over into the top 10 (and therefore gained points) in F1. After Test Day of the 24 Hours (May 31st), he finished eighth at the Grand Prix of Canada (June 7th), before immediately returning to France for Le Mans week which ended in victory (June 14th). Then he raced at the Red Bull Ring for the Grand Prix of Austria (June 21st) and clinched his best result of the 2015 F1 season so far (sixth) before finishing in seventh place at the Grand Prix of Great Britain (June 5th). This great series ended unfortunately in Hungary with an incident following the loss of the front wing of his single-seater. Now, four weeks of well-deserved rest await him before the nine last F1 rounds of 2015 - between August 23rd and November 29th.
To win at the 24 Hours in one's first participation isn't a given to just anyone and the exploit turned all eyes on Nico Hülkenberg and made him the recipient of endless praise in the paddock at the Grand Prix of Austria, namely from his fellow German drivers - with, who knows, perhaps a bit of jealousy. A fast and consistent driver, Hülkenberg has still not acquired in Formula 1 a spot, despite deserving it, in a top team. That chance, he was given in endurance thanks to Porsche. Though it is still too early to know the impact his win at Le Mans will have, one thing is clear: it has inspired envy from many drivers, whether in Formula 1 or elsewhere...
Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SUNDAY JUNE 14 2015, PODIUM. After the podium ceremony, Nico Hülkenberg took part in the winners' press conference.
