Pierre Gasly and Nico Hulkenberg at odds over F1 Qatar GP incident, as they ended up with no points after looking likely to score handful at the fag end of Top 10.
Having started on the soft compound, Sauber’s Hulkenberg was on the lookout of surging ahead and collecting as many places he could in the first part of F1 Qatar GP. He was behind Alpine’s Gasly in the early part in the push for ninth when the two started to tussle.
The Frenchman had his moments which allowed the German to pile on the pressure. Hulkenberg eventually went for the move on Lap 7 around the outside, but there was no space as they made contact which sent the Sauber driver onto the run-off minus a wheel.
His race ended immediately, while Gasly managed to drag himself into the pits and continue on at the back. The incident was adjudged as a racing incident but both saw it differently. While they were fine with no penalty to either, but both felt the other one could have done things differently.
“Hard racing, I’m not here to make it easy for anyone. I am fighting for every single point on track and I think, when you go on the outside, it’s going to be risky,” said Gasly to media. “I am never going to make it easy for the guy trying to get past me on the outside. I think he could have done a better job, I could have done a better job. He didn’t give up, I didn’t give up.
“We touched and ended his race, ended my race. So, I’m sure he would have liked a different outcome. I would have surely liked a different outcome, but at the end of the day, we’re racers. So, yeah, just a shame. Following that incident, we destroyed the floor with the puncture, so we were down a big chunk on downforce and yeah, it was just a pretty long afternoon.
“What did the stewards say? (Racing incident) What do you want me to tell you? Yeah, it’s just a massive washout in Turn 14 on that lap. I went wide, came back. So, yeah, I’m not too sure exactly what it did on the car, but surely it was something I would have liked to avoid. I think a bit of both. I think looking at the good side, I’m very happy with the team because we started the weekend really very much on the back foot.
“And they really understood what to do to tackle these issues and we managed to do a very, very strong quali, so can be pleased with that. I felt very good in the car, which kind of carried on onto the first part of the race and yeah, I think exactly what you say me, missed opportunity. Looking at the race, I think we would have, at the pace, I didn’t see much overtaking.
“So I think starting ninth, being ninth at the start, could have hang on there. So yeah, a bit disappointed for the guys,” summed up Gasly. The German revealed that he had a chat with the Frenchman, but more or less agreed to disagree on the matter and move on from it. Hulkenberg was disappointed to lose out on points, something that he could agree with the Alpine driver on.
“From my perspective, I went onto the kerb and off the track,” said Hulkenberg to media. “I gave him as much space as I possibly could. Pierre had two or three meters to the inside. I don’t see anything there that I did wrong or could have done differently, to be honest. His underbody is wrecked. From that high speed — he already pushed me pretty nasty in Turn 15.
“And that was the second time in the race in quick succession. So, yeah, very, very bitter and frustrating for us. I’m at my limit too. We’re both at our limit. Yes, if I open it, I’ll drive off the track. That doesn’t help either, but at some point he realises, and I was on soft tyre, I was faster anyway, had more grip. At some point he has to realise, ‘okay, I’ve lost this battle’, and he doesn’t give up.
“And the result of that is that he understeers into me and, well, hits me. Yes, I just did [speak with him]. No, of course opinions differ. But it doesn’t matter. It is what it is. It’s over. I think a lot could have been achieved, especially if the maneuver had succeeded without the outcome, I think, a lot could have come out of it. But it’s all just “what ifs” now,” summed up Hulkenberg.
Here’s incident between the two: https://www.formula1.com/en/video/2025-qatar-grand-prix-safety-car-out-as-hulkenberg-and-gasly-make-contact-on-lap-7.1850233658844452251
