Nico Hulkenberg reveals intense Canadian GP near-miss with Yuki Tsunoda – 'Prepared for impact'

During the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal last week, a disturbing near-miss occurred involving Nico Hulkenberg of the Haas F1 team and Yuki Tsunoda of Visa Cash App RB (VCARB or RB). The event occurred when the latter lost control on the grass at Turn 8 and spun, as Hulkenberg accelerated towards Turn 9. Miraculously, the vehicles avoided a collision in this which could have been a disastrous encounter.

Reflecting on the breathtaking moment, Nico Hulkenberg described the instinctive and quick actions he took to avoid crashing into Tsunoda's out-of-control car. He explained to the media, quoted by Crash.net:

“I just don't know… I tried to react, I tried to stop and I tried to avoid it. But it must have been a few millimeters – it was very, very close .

“So I closed my eyes, already bracing myself for the impact, but luckily I managed to escape it.”

Despite the scare, the German driver managed to finish the race in 11th place, just one place ahead of teammate Kevin Magnussen, who also faced his own challenges during the race. From the start, both drivers were in promising positions, with Magnussen climbing up to fourth. However, the race did not go as the American team hoped. Both Haas drivers started the race on wet tires, which seemed to be the best option for the wet conditions. However, when the rain started to fall, the tires fell out of their operating window. Magnussen spoke about the race, saying:

“I didn't feel like we made the most of it. With all the opportunities the race presented, we didn't seem to take advantage of it, so it's disappointing.

“So we'll look at it and try to understand it. At the moment it's all a bit unclear. There were a lot of opportunities, that's for sure, and we didn't get any points, so we have to look at things.

“We had a very slow one and a medium-slow one [pit stop]. And then I also think we faced the inters too early on the wet tires and had to take another inter, which seemed unnecessary.

“But I have to think about it carefully to make sure I'm right in saying that. Yes, I felt like there was something happening at the start of the race and nothing to show for it.”

Adding to the team's mixed feelings, Hülkenberg shared his initial optimism, which waned as track conditions changed.

“The first 10 laps went really well. But then it dried up and everything fell apart again. But yeah, that was it.”

“We knew that risk – not that risk, but that scenario. But a clean race, at least without mistakes.”

For Hülkenberg and the Haas team, it was a weekend of what could have been. As they move forward, the reflections and recalibrations discussed will be crucial to harnessing their obvious potential and translating it into tangible results in the races to come.