36-year-old driver would have been ‘surprised’ by how fast he was during Australian Grand Prix

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Carlos Sainz proved in Melbourne that there might be more jeopardy at the front of the grid than many fans expected after back-to-back Max Verstappen victories.

The Spaniard appears to be at one with his Ferrari, which is a shame considering he’s being replaced by the team next season.

Writing on the Formula 1 website, pundit James Hinchcliffe lauded Sainz, but also highlighted several other drivers for praise.

The battle to score the final few points is going to be fascinating this season considering the difference in pace between the quickest five and slowest five manufacturers.

After Max Verstappen retired and both Mercedes cars failed to finish, there were suddenly three spots available in the top ten.

Haas once again exceeded expectations and both cars scored points for the first time since Austria in 2022.

Hinchcliffe believes that Nico Hulkenberg would have been surprised after scoring points in back-to-back races following his 9^th-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix.

The last time the German scored points in two races in succession was when he was driving for Renault in 2019.

Hulkenberg would have been surprised by scoring points at Australian Grand Prix

Very few Formula 1 fans would have predicted Haas would be seventh in the Constructors’ Championship at this early stage of the season considering the noises coming out of the team before the start of the campaign.

New team principal Ayao Komatsu was trying to downplay expectations before the VF-24 had even taken to the track.

There was a ‘real car issue’ the team was dealing with in the build-up to pre-season testing and they were one of the slowest cars on track before the opening race.

However, Nico Hulkenberg miraculously reached Q3 in Bahrain and would have challenged for a point had he not spun Lance Stroll at the opening corner.

He puts points on the board in Saudi Arabia thanks to some fantastic tactical driving by his teammate Kevin Magnussen.

And Hulkenberg might have been surprised when he took the chequered flag at the Australian Grand Prix when he tripled his points tally for the season.

Komatsu was happy for the team after the race, but admitted there were still mistakes they could iron out ahead of the next Grand Prix in Japan.

Nico Hulkenberg start the 2024 season in style

Discussing the 36-year-old’s race in Melbourne, Hinchcliffe said: “Hulkenberg has an affinity for the Albert Park Circuit, but even he was probably a little surprised at bringing home a second consecutive points-paying finish this weekend.

“The same tyre strategy Alonso used also worked wonders for the Haas driver, who was uncharacteristically out-qualified by teammate Kevin Magnussen.

“Running the hard tyres long, he emerged behind Magnussen, but on fresher, softer tyres, he was able to overtake the Dane and set himself up to be in the final points-paying spot.

“A few more points were gifted after George Russell’s accident on the penultimate lap, but having hauled himself up more positions than any driver on the day, he definitely deserves a pat on the back.”

Nico Hulkenberg racing for his Formula 1 future

Like so many drivers on the grid this season, Hulkenberg’s contract expires at the end of the year.

He’s likely to be under pressure from Oliver Bearman with Ferrari looking for a seat on the grid for the teenager in 2025.

Hulkenberg is currently outperforming Magnussen but there’s not a huge amount to choose between them at the moment.

The 36-year-old may have another option should Haas decide to go in a different direction.

Audi team principal Andreas Seidl is a big fan of Hulkenberg and he’s an option for the German manufacturer ahead of their entry onto the grid in 2026.

It would be an exciting project for Hulkenberg to lead, although appear to be in better shape than the Sauber team right now.