Nico Hülkenberg criticizes F1 commissioners for harshly penalizing teammate Kevin Magnussen, igniting debate over racing justice.
Nico Hülkenberg is puzzled that his teammate Kevin Magnussen received two penalty points at Monza for a move that many drivers did not deem controversial, resulting in a race suspension for the Haas F1 driver.
“I didn’t see two penalty points in that, and a 10-second penalty is very harsh in my view, and most drivers think the same,” Hulkenberg stated.
“I had a case with Fernando [Alonso] during the sprint race in Austria where I tried to overtake at turn 3, I locked up, went wide, and he had to leave the track, but that’s racing. To overtake, you need to step out of your comfort zone, take risks, and these things sometimes happen.”
“In my case with Fernando, and also with Pierre, both drivers said ‘it’s nothing.’ It seems that whenever there’s slight contact, the commissioners want to get involved, they want there to be a consequence. The drivers feel it’s not really necessary for every contact.”
“Perhaps the guidelines on penalties need to be reviewed and changed because we need to be able to race, and it’s difficult otherwise. But I’m sure the issue will be raised at the drivers’ meeting and there will be discussions with Niels [Wittich], the race director.”
“My door is open” for advising Bearman
However, the German believes that the threat of a race suspension should remain: “It’s for extreme cases, and if drivers do something stupid or dangerous, it’s good to keep us under control and we know there is a consequence, so I think that should stay in place.”
“Monza is the most recent case, it is fresh in our memory, but it’s a buildup of things, and it’s good to have it in place for extreme cases, but with all these minor racing incidents, it’s tricky and the line is thin.”
Reflecting on the Italian Grand Prix for Haas F1, Hülkenberg is pleased with the performance shown and regrets that a single lap defined his weekend.
“Monza was positive aside from his penalty, but without that, he would have finished ninth, and we would have been the fifth team on merit. My weekend was good, apart from the first lap on Sunday which ruined my weekend, but it was better than in the past for us at Monza.”
He will team up with Oliver Bearman this weekend and is ready to help: “If he wants advice, my door is always open. But I think he is talented, he likes street circuits and I think he will get up to speed quickly. He has had good preparation and I think he will adapt quickly.”
- You may also like>Newey’s manager, Eddie Jordan, explains the choice of Aston Martin F1
- Also make sure you follow us on social media>Facebook and>Twitter
Hülkenberg Slams F1 Rules After Magnussen’s Penalty Hülkenberg Slams F1 Rules After Magnussen’s Penalty
