Nico Hulkenberg makes Yuki Tsunoda team radio dig after Italian GP collision

Nico Hulkenberg said Yuki Tsunoda probably jumped on team radio, “knowing him”, after their Italian GP crash created a pair of unhappy drivers.

Haas racer Hulkenberg ploughed into the side of Tsunoda’s VCARB at the opening Monza chicane, resulting in race-ending damage for Tsunoda, while Hulkenberg was given a 10-second time penalty and later two penalty points on his superlicence.

Nico Hulkenberg’s Yuki Tsunoda team radio dig after Italian GP shunt

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Sam Cooper

A frustrated Tsunoda had called for Hulkenberg to be given points on top of that 10-second penalty, with Hulkenberg now issuing his response. He did so by making reference to Tsunoda’s reputation for being a fiery character on team radio, a trait which he has worked to rein in, following orders from Red Bull’s Helmut Marko and Christian Horner.

“He was probably on the radio, knowing him,” Hulkenberg said of Tsunoda when speaking to media including PlanetF1.com.

Hulkenberg also claimed that Tsunoda would have seen him struggling to make the braking zone, so could have “saved himself”, but opted not to.

“But of course, I didn’t stop it how I wanted to, but I think he saw me coming as well with quite some speed and still he decided to turn in,” Hulkenberg continued.

“I think he could have saved himself, but he chose not to.”

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Hulkenberg believes his race fell apart already though on the opening lap, having got “boxed in” at the start before a moment with Tsunoda’s VCARB team-mate Daniel Ricciardo at Ascari, which left Ricciardo with a five-second penalty and Hulkenberg kicking up the dirt.

“I feel like we lost everything already on Lap 1,” he said.

“First chicane, just was somehow boxed in, but in the wrong spot and then lost out.

“And then got a strong tow off Danny so went next to him on the outside, but he swept across quite a lot and just didn’t leave quite enough room. So we made contact, put me in the dirt, anti-stall kicked in in fourth gear, so until I had that sorted out I lost another three, four positions. I must have been P16/17 after Lap 1.

“Obviously pretty poor and bad, so yeah, it was always going to be difficult, and then obviously the Yuki incident and front wing change and all the rest of it is the rest.”

Hulkenberg ultimately finished P17 in an Italian GP where neither Haas nor VCARB scored points. The gap of six points between these teams in the Constructors’ Championship therefore remains, VCARB sitting P6 and Haas P7.

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