Nico Hulkenberg reckoned Franco Colapinto braked early which caught him out in F1 Singapore GP spin, but the Argentine didn’t think he did anything different.
Having started just outside the Top 10, it looked like Sauber’s Hulkenberg had a chance to score in F1 Singapore GP. But he just didn’t have enough pace. They got the strategy wrong as well, which dropped him behind the likes of Alpine’s Colapinto, Carlos Sainz and Yuki Tsunoda.
After a better qualifying, Hulkenberg had some hopes of a better run. His lack of pace and strategy error was compounded by an uncharacteristic spin behind Colapinto. The German noted that the Argentine braked early which caught the Sauber driver out and he spun into the Turn 3 run-off.
That sealed his fate as he dropped to last. “It was long, dull, boring, static. It was not a bit of a spin, pretty big one actually, lucky not to hit anything,” said Hulkenberg to media. “Franco braked 100 metres early, which I’m not sure why. Probably wanted to surprise me somehow – [he] succeeded with that.
“But the problem is, when you get close, the rear downforce just drops away completely. The rear axle locked up instantly, and there’s nothing you can do then.” On the other hand, Colapinto didn’t think he did anything wrong or braked early than he was doing in the corner.
The Argentine lamented his pace which allowed several to pass him. He had a good start like Baku, but couldn’t hold on to his position. He crucially beat teammate Pierre Gasly, though. “I don’t know, I just saw him in the mirror spinning,” said Colapinto to media. “I can’t tell you, he should tell you for [himself]. It was a very long day, very tough, no pace in the car.
“I think it’s just a frustrating afternoon. We did our best, with a strange strategy to try and make it work – and do something different to the others – but it didn’t work. Just a lot of degradation in the car, the tyres falling apart, and nothing really clicking together. It’s tough out there, it’s not what we want.
“We just need to keep pushing, but it’s definitely very difficult at the moment. I mean, it is hard to overtake but we were just constantly overtaken in the race, I made up places in the start like in Baku, it was same and then just dropping back, struggling for pace,” summed up Colapinto.
Here’s moment with Yuki Tsunoda in pits via Sauber
