Nico Hulkenberg has admitted that his P19 Qualifying result was the \u201cstart of the end\u201d for his hopes at the Hungaroring, with the German unable to pull off another rise to the points around the tight, twisty venue.<\/p>\n
Hulkenberg has made a habit of charging through the field this season, going from 17th to seventh in a rain-hit Australian Grand Prix, from 15th to fifth in Spain, from 20th to ninth in Austria and, most memorably, from 19th to a maiden F1 podium<\/a> in Britain.<\/p>\n However, Hulkenberg\u2019s back-of-the-grid start in Hungary proved to be a more frustrating affair \u2013 the Kick Sauber racer spending most of his two-stop race stuck in traffic, given the lack of overtaking opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was always going to be difficult from the back,\u201d Hulkenberg reflected after the race, which team mate Gabriel Bortoleto \u2013 who starred to reach Q3 \u2013 finished in sixth position. \u201cWe know in traffic it\u2019s a bit difficult here.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the one-stop worked quite well for many people, so the two-stop naturally wasn\u2019t even the faster one. A two-stop, plus a lot of traffic, means a very difficult race. No yield today, but I\u2019m happy that Gabi was there to pick up the points.<\/p>\n \u201cIt all goes back to [Saturday], having a poor quali. Starting from the back is obviously the start of the end, a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite not adding any more points to his tally last time out, Hulkenberg is taking plenty of confidence from Sauber\u2019s general upward trend in recent races as the F1 paddock heads into the summer break.<\/p>\n \u201cThe mindset is positive,\u201d he commented. \u201cWe\u2019ve demonstrated that we\u2019ve come a long way in terms of car performance.<\/p>\n \u201cSince Barcelona, we\u2019re really a serious midfield contender and able to [score] points. I think it\u2019s the sixth consecutive time now since Barcelona, so I think that says it all.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy and proud about that, and we just need to keep working away.\u201d<\/p>\n