Nico Hulkenberg has revealed how the marshals at Flip 1 for the System 1 Brazilian Grand Prix have been “partying” after serving to the Haas driver rejoin the race after an off which led to his black flag.
The German spun out in tough circumstances at Interlagos and though he failed to achieve the limitations on the first nook, he turned beached on a crest within the run-off space, together with his rear wheels within the air.
This led to the usage of the digital security automotive – one which introduced race-defining pitstops – however as an alternative of Hulkenberg retiring, he was pushed off the ledge and continued.
However the usage of exterior help contravened F1 laws and noticed Hulkenberg disqualified – the primary driver proven the black flag because the Canadian Grand Prix in 2007.
Recapping his race, Hulkenberg mentioned: “I believe it was going OK on the inters truly; I used to be in a practice with Pierre [Gasly] and Fernando [Alonso] for a very long time, earlier than we pitted. So I believe we have been going OK – it wasn’t dreadful, nevertheless it wasn’t superb both.
“Simply after the pitstop, our race by some means… clearly it completed fairly rapidly and all of it went south from there.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24
Photograph by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Pictures
On the incident that in the end noticed him disqualified, Hulkenberg defined: “They [the marshals] got here out, they pushed me off and so they have been actually pleased with themselves.
“They have been partying and pushing me on and saying, ‘come on, go, let’s go, this race is not completed’. In that second, you do not actually assume, you do not care to be sincere as properly.
“You simply proceed and also you cope with the implications later.”
The race would additional twist on a pink flag simply laps after Hulkenberg had triggered the digital security automotive as a deluge of rain and Franco Colapinto’s crash underneath security automotive circumstances led to race management suspending the race.
Having made it to the pits underneath the pink flags earlier than being informed of his disqualification, Hulkenberg handled the worst of the climate and insisted: “Undoubtedly amongst the hardest circumstances that I’ve raced in.
“Extremely low grip, a really, very slim window, very laborious to make no errors. It was very powerful.”