Nico Hülkenberg felt it was hard to come to terms with the outcome of the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday as the German was eliminated at turn three after contact with the spinning car of Romain Grosjean.
The Renault Sport Formula One Team racer was forced to retire for a second consecutive race, but unlike in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, this time it was not his fault, and he could do nothing to avoid Grosjean, who was handed a penalty for the Monaco Grand Prix for dangerously crossing the track after losing control of his Haas F1 Team car and causing an accident that also eliminated Pierre Gasly.
After troubles in Qualifying as well, Hülkenberg felt he was unable to show the true pace of his R.S.18 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya when it mattered, which was particularly galling for the German as he felt the car was competitive, which was proven by team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr. finishing seventh.
“It was messy into turns one and two but in turn three it got a lot messier,” said Hülkenberg. “I saw a car spin in front of me and a lot of smoke.
“It happened very quickly so I couldn’t avoid Grosjean spinning backwards into my car. It’s a pity as we were competitive, we have good pace so it’s frustrating not to have shown that yesterday and today.
“It’s difficult to swallow, especially when it’s not your fault. We’ll have to try again in two weeks.”
