Nico Hülkenberg delivered one of Kick Sauber’s strongest Fridays of the season, finishing fifth in both practice sessions at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while teammate Gabriel Bortoleto backed it up with P7 and P6. It was a clean, confident start to the final weekend of the year for the Swiss-based squad.

After his early crash in Qatar ended a run of strong points finishes, Hülkenberg arrived at Yas Marina with a clear mission: reset, rebuild, and strike back. His pace on Friday showed exactly that. The German felt the car had a strong baseline (initial setup window) and a balanced platform, allowing him to push without overextending.

Asked whether he believed the team could replicate that performance in Saturday’s Qualifying, Hülkenberg didn’t hesitate:
“I hope so — that’s the target and the ambition, to hang onto it.”

He noted that many drivers missed FP1 due to rookie obligations, meaning Sauber may have gained a small overnight advantage. Still, his focus was on the car’s underlying strength:
“Things felt promising. I think the baseline performance and the balance of the car are in a good spot, and we had a clean, smooth day, so that was positive.”

On whether the pace was surprising, he added:
“Maybe slightly. There’s a bit more low-speed content here, which isn’t bad for our car, but you never know until you run. It’s nice to be quick on Friday, but it’s more important to have it tomorrow when it matters.”

Bortoleto echoed the sentiment: cautious, but quietly confident.
“It’s just Free Practice. A lot can still happen. But being competitive in FP1 and FP2 is positive. I’m confident for tomorrow.”

With Kick Sauber fighting for P8 in the Constructors’ Championship currently sitting P9, five points behind Haas — Saturday’s Qualifying could be decisive.
The Brazilian emphasized the stakes:
“I hope both cars are in a good position tomorrow for Quali. It’s going to be very important for us to start well on Sunday, try to score points and catch the cars ahead.”

Sauber started the weekend strong. Now, the challenge is simple and brutal: turn a great Friday into a meaningful Saturday.