Nico Hulkenberg crashes out of Qatar GP causing safety car as McLaren strategy comes under fire
Nico Hulkenberg has crashed out of the Qatar Grand Prix after a collision with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly on the seventh lap.
As the German driver attempted to pass Gasly around the outside at Turn 2, the pair made contact, sending Hulkenberg spinning through the gravel before he came to a stop.
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Hulkenberg had started the race from 11th position on the grid and was running in 10th at the time of the crash. While speaking to the media following qualifying, the Sauber driver didn’t expect many overtakes during the race due to the lack of opportunities at the Losail International Circuit.
“No, I think it will make it very static,” he said. “We saw this morning, no tyre deg, very little racing action. The cornering speeds are a bit too fast. I mean, it’s really fun to drive in quali and, you know, very exciting, high speed, high G-forces, but it’s not the most, you know, racing-friendly circuit, let’s say.”
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With the safety car deployed, race leader Oscar Piastri and his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris stayed out but Max Verstappen, who was running in second at the time, decided to pit along with the remaining drivers.
“This has worked out horribly for McLaren. Those behind have pitted and they have not,” former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle said. He later added: “Stay tuned to this race, everybody. It feels to me as though McLaren have missed a trick!”
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Drivers are limited to a maximum of 25 laps on a set of tyres during the Qatar Grand Prix.
“We should have just followed him in, no? If we knew the car ahead was staying out,” Norris asked his race engineer Will Joseph, who explained: “They have lost all flexibility for the remainder of the race.”
One reason why the Woking outfit may have decided not to pit either Piastri or Norris could be to avoid disadvantaging one over the other. A double stack would have put Norris at a disadvantage and pulling in one and not the other would have been a clear differentiation in strategy.
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Photos from Qatar GP – Race
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Adrian Newey, Managing Technical Partner of Aston Martin F1 Team
Adrian Newey, Managing Technical Partner of Aston Martin F1 Team
Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
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The Aston Martin F1 Team AMR25 gets cooled
The Aston Martin F1 Team AMR25 gets cooled
Peter Fox / Getty Images
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Clive Rose / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Mark Thompson / Getty Images
David Beckham
David Beckham
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of Alpine F1
Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of Alpine F1
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Lars Baron / LAT Images via Getty Images
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Carlos Sainz, Williams
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Peter Fox / Getty Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Dom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
Maya Jama
Maya Jama
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Lars Baron / LAT Images via Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Mark Thompson / Getty Images
Williams mechanics during pit stop practice
Williams mechanics during pit stop practice
Peter Fox / Getty Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
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Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber crash
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber crash
Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
Drivers pit during the safety car
Drivers pit during the safety car
Altaf Qadri / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Mahmud Hams / AFP via Getty Images
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