Hulkenberg rues ‘messy’ DNF in Qatar as Magnussen promises Haas will go ‘guns blazing’ in Abu Dhabi

Nico Hulkenberg had a day to forget at the Qatar Grand Prix after an incident on the opening lap set the tone for an unsettled race that seventually saw him beach his car in a gravel trap.

After qualifying down in P18, the German driver bolted on hard tyres with the hope of going long before boxing for fresh rubber - but the bold decision failed to pay off as he locked up and collided with Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon at the first corner.

He sustained a puncture but his car appeared undamaged otherwise, allowing him to continue until he spun on the Safety Car restart on Lap 40, beaching his car in the gravel to end his race prematurely.

With Pierre Gasly crossing the line in fifth, Hulkenberg’s lack of points in Qatar has helped Alpine to take a five-point lead over Haas in the battle for sixth in the constructors’ standings.

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“Turn 1 – it was messy,” the 37-year-old admitted after the race. “There was contact, I honestly can’t remember. It was all happening very quickly – I don’t know if I got hit first or touched someone.

“Then a long stint in traffic, then kind of unlucky with the Safety Car because the others got a free stop.

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"At the restart, [I] just lost it in a big way in a high-speed corner very aggressively and suddenly, so not our day for sure. One of those to forget and we just have to wipe it off.

“Right after the race it just feels disappointing and like a missed opportunity – the second half of the weekend. Many things went wrong – we made mistakes, I made mistakes, so not great. Tough to accept and swallow, but we need to reset, regroup and go again next week.”

Kevin Magnussen and Ayao Komatsu talk with Haas F1 team members on the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Lusail International Circuit on December 01, 2024 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) — Both Hulkenberg and Magnussen are approaching their final race with Haas

His team mate Kevin Magnussen left Qatar on a more positive note as he netted two points for Haas in P9, profiting from Lando Norris’s stop/go penalty to secure the team’s ninth points finish in the last 10 races.

The Dane was nevertheless left “super gutted” with the timing of the Safety Car that “completely ruined” his day – he pitted five laps before the field was neutralised, which benefitted cars around him and saw him lose positions.

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“We had a good beginning to the race and everything was going well – just wish that Safety Car hadn’t come out,” Magnussen said after the race. “That really screwed us but anyway, there’s still a race to go and we’ll go in there guns blazing.

“We deserve better but luck unfortunately hasn’t been on our side recently. We’ve just got to do what we can. As I said, still a round to go – five points’ deficit is not the easiest of tasks, but still all to play for.”