Nico Hülkenberg, driver for the Haas team, expressed concern after the engine incident involving Kevin Magnussen during the latest round of the 2023 Formula 1 season, the British Grand Prix. According to Nico Hülkenberg, this is a clear warning sign for the Haas team and for Ferrari as a power unit supplier.
In response to a question about the meaning of the technical issue, Nico Hülkenberg stated, “I think it’s a cause for concern. I’ve had several similar issues this year, so it’s undoubtedly a signal that cannot be ignored.” The German then added that this problem seems to occur more frequently within their team and regarding their car.
Hülkenberg outside the points zone
Last Sunday was marked by unfortunate incidents for Haas again, this time during the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit. The American team, which had come close to reaching Q3 again with Nico Hülkenberg, finished the race with only the German driver, who crossed the line in 13th position. In the early stages of the race, while fighting for points, car number 27 returned to the pits to replace the front wing after contact with Sergio Perez’s Red Bull. However, the subsequent entry of the Safety Car, combined with a good strategy, allowed the Haas driver to make a good recovery.
A forgettable weekend for Kevin Magnussen
Furthermore, the safety car entered the track 20 laps before the end due to the retirement of Kevin Magnussen’s other Haas car, which came to a halt along the Wellington Straight due to a power unit failure. “There had already been a problem in qualifying, and then I didn’t finish the race due to another engine issue, so it wasn’t the best weekend for us,” commented the Danish driver. “It’s a shame, of course, but we weren’t in a points-scoring position. I think tire degradation was better than we expected. We still have work to do to find some pace.”
Damage to the front wing
If it hadn’t been for the contact with Perez, Hülkenberg potentially could have reached the top 10. He briefly described the incident and the development of the race: “The race took a hit when Checo (Perez) passed us at the exit of Turn 4, and we made contact. A big piece of the front wing came off a lap later, forcing us to come into the pits early. We had to change the wing, and it cost us a lot of time, putting us behind. The Safety Car allowed us to get back in the train of cars, but then in traffic, we didn’t have enough pace to overtake.” – he pointed out.
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Haas caught up by Williams
Haas’s absence from the points zone also brought a change in the lower half of the constructors’ standings ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix: on one hand, the American team still holds the seventh position, benefiting from the failure of the two Alfa Romeos of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu to enter the top 10, leaving them two points behind. On the other hand, the 7th position is now shared with Williams, which, thanks to Alexander Albon‘s eighth-place finish, has caught up with its rivals on equal points.
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