Audi Formula 1 driver Nico Hulkenberg described his narrow escape from a serious collision with teammate Gabriel Bortoleto during the Dutch Grand Prix as a mix of skill and chance, praising his own judgment in the dangerous moment.
Zandvoort’s track remained damp from pre-race rain but was dry enough for slick tires when Max Verstappen crashed heavily on the opening lap in the final banked corner. In response, Bortoleto spun 360 degrees and ended up stationary in the middle of the track.
As oncoming cars took evasive action, Hulkenberg expertly maneuvered around the left side of Bortoleto’s stationary car, narrowly avoiding impact.
“It was scary and sketchy,” an understandably relieved Hulkenberg explained. “The track was largely dry except for that one corner which stayed much wetter and caught everyone off guard. It was tricky because I wasn’t sure exactly where he’d end up – whether he’d roll forward or backward. I hesitated until the last possible moment. We got lucky not making contact, but it was too close for comfort.”
“At that speed, it felt almost like slow motion. There would have been barely room for a sheet of paper between us.”
Allan McNish, Racing Director, Audi F1 Team
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
From the pit wall, Audi’s racing director Allan McNish admitted to holding his breath as he monitored both drivers simultaneously.
“I live every second with them, which is exactly why I’m going gray so quickly,” joked the three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner.
“Max crashed right in front of Gabriel, and that corner was by far the trickiest on the track at that moment. Only when we saw the replay did we fully realize just how close our two cars really were.”
“When I first saw Gabriel spinning and then Nico coming out the other side, I didn’t immediately realize he’d driven through the smoke. It was a bit too much ‘Days of Thunder’ for my liking…”
Analyzing the incident from his experience as a former driver, McNish added: “When something happens ahead of you, there’s a mental process along with pure instinct. Instinct tells you where to go and what to do. Some drivers have it naturally, others don’t.”
“Then there’s the judgment element – knowing how far to push it and in which direction. Banking presents unique challenges, which is why I was particularly impressed that Gabriel managed to keep the car in the middle of the track rather than careening into the wall.”
“Whether it was instinct, skill, or concentration – I couldn’t say for certain. But it was absolutely brilliant driving under pressure!”
Hulkenberg went on to secure four points with an eighth-place finish, extending Audi’s streak of consecutive points-scoring weekends, while Bortoleto finished 13th.
