Nico Hulkenberg expects promising new Haas upgrades for Imola Grand Prix

After narrowly missing out on scoring points at the Miami Grand Prix, Hulkenberg is optimistic that the upcoming upgrades will get Haas closer to the front of the grid.

The German driver showcased his prowess during the Sprint, securing an impressive seventh-place finish and adding to Haas' points tally. 

However, despite a strong performance, Hulkenberg had to settle for 11th in the Grand Prix, just missing out on a points finish by a slim margin, with Alpine's Esteban Ocon taking tenth place.

Hulkenberg's recent form has been commendable, with three points finishes in the five races leading up to Miami. 

Looking ahead to Imola, he is optimistic about the forthcoming developments for the VF-24, set to arrive at the Emilia-Romagna circuit.

He expressed his anticipation for these upgrades, stating they could potentially "edge us ahead again" in the fiercely contested midfield battles characteristic of this season.

"A good weekend... obviously it would have been the icing on the cake to get another points finish today," Hulkenberg said when asked about the Miami Grand Prix, as quoted by the official F1 website.

"Unfortunately, the first half of the race, the first stint and then the first part of the second stint, we weren't strong enough when there was still a lot of fuel in the car. 

"I was struggling for grip and then balance, and we weren't quick enough in that part of the race.

"The VSC wasn't great but then the Safety Car later, we swapped to a two-stop and that kind of put us back on the map, some good racing afterwards. 

"I actually enjoyed the race, I don't think we could have done anything different or better, so that's where we were."

He added: "In Imola we're going to get some more upgrades to complete that kind of package that we were building since Shanghai, so hopefully those can edge us a little bit ahead again and put us a little bit closer to the RBs, because they look really strong at the moment."