Super-Sub Nico Hulkenberg Insists F1 Cars Have Become ‘Rock Hard’ in 2022

The season hasn’t started on a good note for Aston Martin. From the underperforming cars to Sebastian Vettel out for Covid-19, problems crippled the British team from the very start. However, Nico Hulkenberg came in to replace his countryman Vettel in the perfect fashion and picked up appraisals from everyone.

Nico came unprepared and took part in Bahrain as well as Saudi Arabia for Aston Martin. In the process, he finished P17 in Bahrain and P12 in Jeddah. Amid all this, Hulkenberg has also expressed that the new cars are tougher to drive. It is believed that the Mercedes Power units are underperforming.

Talking about this, the 34-year-old conveyed, “For me, the cars have become rock solid. There is no longer any spring travel, the tires don’t give way, so you can just as well put your butt on the asphalt. It’s just tough, and that’s the biggest difference for me.”

Read More: WATCH: Lewis Hamilton Pulls Out an Amusing Party Video On His Brother’s Birthday

“Of course, it’s somewhere else in detail, but at the end of the day: the cars still produce a lot, a lot of downforces, but in a different way, so it doesn’t feel different because downforce is downforce,” the German driver further stated.

What’s wrong with Nico Hulkenberg’s Aston Martin?

Apart from the car being harder to drive as stated by Hulkenberg, the Mercedes power unit hasn’t been strong enough as compared to Ferraris or Red Bull. Aston Martin uses Mercedes engines and they’ve been hit with the same effect as Mercedes, Williams, and McLaren are going through.

All the teams that use Mercedes engines are low on their performances. On the other hand, teams like Haas or Alfa Romeo who use Ferrari engines have managed to pick up points this year, fighting in the midfield. However, Mercedes are a mere shadow of itself this year. So is McLaren, who just picked up 6 points in two races.

Watch This Story: Lewis Hamilton Being Called Out By Former Champ To McLaren’s Awesome Pit Crew

As for Aston Martin, they’re yet to pick up a point and are jointly last with Williams. As the next race is about one week and a half week away, some sort of development may be expected. Moreover, Sebastian Vettel should come to take his place in Australian Grand Prix. It’ll be interesting to see if the Silverstone-based team manages to do claim some points in this round.