Nico Hulkenberg says he has “a lot of good memories” from the Brazilian Grand Prix, including “one of my best days” in the 2012 edition.
Already driving for Force India, the German qualified a strong seventh and climbed all the way to P1 in mixed weather conditions.
Despite spinning out of the lead and then colliding with McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, Hulkenberg, who had also claimed his first and so far only pole position at Interlagos two years earlier, still looks back at the events with fondness.
“I have lots of good memories from Brazil: it’s where I got a pole position in my debut year in 2010 [with Williams] and where I had one of my best days in 2012,” the 29-year-old remembered. “That was a very special race, leading for 40 laps in mixed conditions.
“It was exciting from the lights: it was dry, then it started to drizzle and some people stopped for intermediate tyres, but I stayed out, took a risk and made it work. It was a special experience and one of my best performances to date.”
Talking about the historic Autodromo José Carlos Pace, which hosts round 20 of this year's Formula One world championship this weekend, Hulkenberg added: “there is a lot of history at Interlagos and it’s an enjoyable track to drive.
“My highlight is the second sector: it’s twisty and technical, and a challenge to get it just right. The Senna Esses are an interesting corner combination as well – you can easily ruin a lap very early on if you get them wrong.
“The weather changes very quickly in Sao Paulo – the clouds come up to the track all of a sudden and hit us, which makes for some crazy weather and some crazy races, which is something I quite enjoy!”
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