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Sauber F1 star driver Nico Hulkenberg took to the team radio during the Free Practice 2 session at the 2025 Austrian GP and complained about the front grip to his team. The German driver suggested that he wasn't feeling the “love” from the car as he struggled to turn the car into the corners.
The F1 gods showered the Red Bull Ring with rain and hail on Thursday, a day ahead of the Friday practice F1 sessions. The storm washed away the rubber laid on the track, which led to multiple drivers complaining about the grip in the first and second practice sessions.
Many drivers were seen locking up into the heavy braking zone at the first corner and running wide. On the other hand, many also ran wide into the final corner, with Fernando Alonso spinning around in the first practice session.
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Nico Hulkenberg was one of the drivers who struggled massively with the grip on a cold track with the cloud cover in the sky. The German F1 driver has been the star for the Swiss team this year and sits P11 in the championship, scoring 20 points for the team. His teammate Gabriel Bortoletto, on the other hand, hasn't scored a single point yet.
Towards the end of the FP2 session, during the race simulation runs, Nico Hulkenberg complained about not feeling attached to the car as the front tires were giving him the expected grip. He radioed the team, complaining, as he said:
“I’m not feeling the love, somehow. A lot of the front is not really gripping in many places.”
Nico Hulkenberg had an average first practice session, finishing P12, six tenths off the pace of the leader. However, FP2 was troublesome for the Sauber driver, who finished the session in P19, 1.3 seconds off the pace of the leader.
Winners and losers from the FP2 session at the 2025 F1 Austrian GP
The FP2 session began with a cloud cover over the circuit, which remained throughout the session. The ambient temperature was around 25⁰C, and the track temperature ranged between mid to high 30⁰C.
The two McLaren drivers put in solid performances in the FP2 session, as Lando Norris topped the timing sheets, closely followed by Oscar Piastri in P2. Max Verstappen finished the session in P3, three tenths off the pace of Norris' fastest time. Lance Stroll put in a stellar performance to push the Aston Martin in P4 with Leclerc in P5.
Rookie Gabriel Bortoletto finished the session in P8, ahead of his teammate Nico Hulkenberg, who only managed P19. Fernando Alonso had a subpar session, finishing P9, and complaining about bouncing issues with the car.
The Williams drivers struggled with Alex Albon in P16 and Carlos Sainz in P17. Contrary to Sainz's belief that the Red Bull Ring would elevate the performance of the Williams FW47, its high-speed characteristics eventually became its undoing.
