SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — Nico Hulkenberg will receive a ten-place grid penalty in Italy for the accident he caused on the opening lap of Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Hulkenberg triggered a terrifying crash at the first corner of the Belgian Grand Prix after colliding with the rear of Fernando Alonso’s car, which was then launched over the back of Charles Leclerc’s Sauber. The accident also caused damage to Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull, which, in a chain reaction, hit Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari.
Speaking to the stewards after the race, Hulkenberg took full blame for the accident.
A stewards’ statement said: “The driver of car 27 stated that he completely misjudged the situation and freely admitted it was his mistake.”
Hulkenberg added: “I just got caught out with a couple of things there. Basically just misjudged the grip level. It’s just incredible on lap 1 this year when you’re surrounded by a lot of cars, how much downforce you lose, especially on the front axle. You see when I get on the brakes it just instantly locks up.
“I let go of the brakes [to try and regain control], went on again. It looks nasty, it doesn’t look great. A misjudgement from my side… my bad, my mistake and it doesn’t look very good.”
Hulkenberg also received three points on his superlicence, which brings his total to four for the year.
Speaking after the accident, Alonso made a comparison with the huge accident triggered by Romain Grosjean at the same corner in 2012. Grosjean was given a one-race ban for the mistake, but the stewards explained that that accident came after a series of first lap errors and before the penalty system — which keeps a tally of driver errors and can result in a ban if a driver reaches 12 points in a 12 month period — was in place.
“It should be noted that since 2014 the FIA has introduced the penalty points system, which takes into account previous offences by a driver and can lead to a race suspension if 12 points are accumulated within a 12 month period.
“This system was not in force when an incident not dissimilar to this, occurred in 2012.”
Hulkenberg also defended himself amid accusations he should be served with a race ban.
“It’s different. His story there was a lot of things building up to that and in my case you can’t really say that, normally I keep my nose clean. Today unfortunately it went wrong quite badly. Nobody does this intentionally. At the end of the day we are racing, and unfortunately today for me this did happen. Luckily Monza is just three days away.”