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Nico Hulkenberg called his near-miss with Audi teammate Gabriel Bortoleto in the Dutch Grand Prix "scary" and admitted he was "a passenger" during the incident. The German finished eighth in the 72-lap race at Zandvoort, securing back-to-back points for Audi despite the opening-lap chaos. A damp track contributed to multiple spins, including a 360-degree loss of control by Bortoleto, who nearly collided with Hulkenberg as he rejoined the track.
Hulkenberg described the moment as instinct-driven, noting the difficulty of reacting on a wet surface. He later moved ahead of Pierre Gasly’s Alpine through traffic to claim four points for Audi, keeping the team eighth in the Constructors’ standings. The result lifted morale after a challenging weekend of practice and qualifying.
Bortoleto, who started 17th but avoided damage from his spin, finished 13th. He hinted at deeper issues within the team but declined to elaborate, attributing the incident to a reaction on the steering wheel following Max Verstappen’s crash. Audi now trails Haas by five points in the teams’ championship.
