Hulkenberg expecting tough fight to reach the points in Belgian GP

Nico Hulkenberg will have a mammoth task on his hands during the Belgian Grand Prix as he will start from last on the grid due to grid penalties for a change of power unit elements. The German didn't bother to set a time during Q2 due to the penalty he would be serving on race day.

Having sat out Q2, Hulkenberg reflected on the chaotic qualifying session that saw both Racing Point Force India drivers star in the difficult conditions on one of F1's most iconic circuit.

“The one lap I did today was pretty much on the pace, so the car felt alright,” said Hülkenberg.

“Q3 looked like it was exciting and it would have been nice to be involved, but with the engine penalty it made sense for us to skip the rest of qualifying to save the engine as it needs to go a long way from here.

“We have to be realistic for tomorrow and it won’t be easy to get into the points.

“Having said that, overtaking is possible here and our top speed has been competitive so far this weekend, so I want to have a good race and have a bit of fun and hopefully there will be a nice reward at the end.”

He won't be starting at the back alone though, Valtteri Bottas also lines up at the rear of the field for the same reason having replaced several elements of his power unit ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.

Whether Hulkenberg can follow Bottas through the field or not could make or break his race as getting caught up in slower traffic and battles will prove costly in his fight for the points paying positions.