Hülkenberg Escapes Audi Near-Miss to Score at Zandvoort

Nico Hülkenberg escaped a near-certain collision with spinning Audi teammate Gabriel Bortoleto on the opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix, then recovered to finish eighth and score four points for the team.

The incident unfolded in treacherous conditions at Zandvoort’s final corner. Rain around 45 minutes before the start had left the steeply banked Turn 14 much wetter than the largely dry rest of the circuit, yet the field began on slick tyres. Max Verstappen crashed into the barriers at the corner before the first lap was complete, leaving smoke and debris ahead of the two Audis.

Bortoleto was immediately caught up in the aftermath. After seeing the smoke from Verstappen’s crash, he made a steering correction, lost control of his car and completed a 360-degree spin in the middle of the track. Hülkenberg arrived directly behind him with visibility obscured, facing a split-second decision over which side of the stranded Audi to take.

Hülkenberg, the Audi driver, told Sky Sports Germany that the conditions made the escape especially perilous. “It was scary, sketchy. The whole track was very dry, just that corner stayed much wetter and caught people out. I was waiting, hesitating until the last moment. A good portion of luck not to hit each other there, but that was too close for comfort.”

With Bortoleto sliding unpredictably through the smoke, Hülkenberg delayed his move as long as possible before instinctively choosing a line around his teammate. He avoided T-boning the other Audi and both cars emerged without damage, a crucial outcome given the speed and banking of the corner.

The German said the near-miss felt unusually drawn out from the cockpit despite happening in only moments. “I saw it happen almost in slow motion at that speed. A sheet of paper would have fit between us, but not much more.”

The race was stopped following Verstappen’s crash, allowing both Audi drivers to take the restart. Bortoleto, however, had lost ground through his spin and could only recover to 13th. Hülkenberg converted Audi’s narrow escape into a points finish, rising to eighth as the team secured its fourth consecutive points-scoring weekend.