Nico Hulkenberg, Renault, Bahrain International Circuit, 2019

Hulkenberg and Giovinazzi cleared over collision

2019 Bahrain Grand Prix

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Nico Hulkenberg and Antonio Giovinazzi have avoided any penalties over the collision between the pair during first practice.

The Renault and Alfa Romeo drivers were investigated for allegedly causing a collision. The pair came together in turn seven towards the end of the first 90 minutes of running ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix. The contact resulted in Giovinazzi’s car briefly leaving the ground, though both drivers were able to return to the pits.

Moments before the collision Hulkenberg had allowed Giovinazzi’s team mate Kimi Raikkonen to overtake him. Having reviewed video of the event and spoken to the drivers who tangled, the stewards ruled Hulkenberg was not expecting Giovinazzi would also attempt to pass him.

“Neither car was on a push lap, car 27 [Hulkenberg] had just let car seven [Raikkonen] pass, and believed car 99 [Giovinazzi] was going slow. Car 99 then sped up and passed car 27 on the inside when the driver of car 27 was not expecting it to do so, remaining on the racing line.

“The stewards believe that this was a misunderstanding by the driver of car 27 and a presumption by the driver of car 99,” they concluded.

Raikkonen also complained of being held up twice during the session following run-ins with Carlos Sainz Jnr and Alexander Albon, though neither incident prompted an investigation.

The Bahrain Grand Prix stewards are Garry Connelly, Jose Abed, Emanuele Pirro and Mazen Al Hilli.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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One comment on “Hulkenberg and Giovinazzi cleared over collision”

  1. I couldn’t watch either of FP sessions, was it a case of common sense presiding over anything else?

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