Nico Hülkenberg narrowly avoided hitting Audi teammate Gabriel Bortoleto after the Brazilian spun across the track during the opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Nico Hülkenberg revealed how he narrowly avoided a potentially huge accident with Audi teammate Gabriel Bortoleto during the opening lap of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix.

The incident happened shortly after Max Verstappen crashed at the final corner. With the track still wet in places, Bortoleto lost control of his Audi and spun 360 degrees before coming to a stop in the middle of the circuit.

Hülkenberg arrived moments later and managed to avoid his teammate by passing around the left side of the stranded car.

Hülkenberg had almost no time to react

The track was mostly dry, but the final banked corner remained significantly wetter following the earlier rain.

That caught several drivers by surprise, including Bortoleto.

Nico Hülkenberg narrowly avoided Gabriel Bortoleto after the Brazilian spun across the track at Zandvoort.

Hülkenberg said the situation was extremely difficult because he could not immediately predict which direction Bortoleto’s car would move.

He waited as long as possible before committing to an escape route.

According to the Audi driver, luck also played a major role.

The gap between the two cars was so small that Hülkenberg said it felt as though “a sheet of paper” could have separated them.

Audi team principal calls it an incredible save

Audi competition director Allan McNish watched the incident from the pit wall while monitoring the onboard cameras from both cars.

Audi competition director Allan McNish said the incident was even more alarming after reviewing the onboard footage.

McNish admitted that he initially did not realize just how close the two Audi cars had come to each other.

He compared the moment to a scene from “Days of Thunder”, highlighting how little margin Hülkenberg had for error.

From his experience as a former driver, McNish explained that avoiding an accident in such a situation requires a combination of instinct and judgment.

Drivers have to react immediately, but they must also determine how far they can move and which direction offers the safest escape.

Hülkenberg escaped while Bortoleto recovered

Bortoleto’s spin was particularly difficult to handle because the banking of the corner could have sent the car in an unpredictable direction.

Bortoleto recovered from the spin while Hülkenberg escaped through the narrow gap beside his teammate.

McNish praised Bortoleto for keeping the car away from the wall and preventing an even bigger incident.

He also described Hülkenberg’s avoidance maneuver as an incredible save, saying it was difficult to determine whether instinct, skill, concentration, or a combination of all three made the difference.

The incident ultimately had no major consequences for either Audi driver.

Hülkenberg scored more points for Audi

Hülkenberg went on to finish eighth, scoring four points for Audi.

The result marked the team’s fourth consecutive points-scoring weekend.

Bortoleto had a more difficult afternoon and finished 13th after the opening-lap incident.

For Nico Hülkenberg Audi, the most memorable moment of the weekend was therefore not the final result but the extraordinary escape from what could have been a major teammate collision.

Lando Norris rejected Mercedes’ claim that McLaren has the fastest car, arguing that his recent victories are also the result of extracting more from the MCL40.

Lando Norris has pushed back against Mercedes’ assessment of the Formula 1 pecking order, arguing that McLaren’s recent victories are not simply the result of having the fastest car.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell both described McLaren as the team to beat after the Dutch Grand Prix, but Norris believes his own performance has played a major role in allowing the MCL40 to consistently fight at the front.

The reigning world champion has now won the last two Grands Prix in Hungary and Zandvoort, starting both from pole position.

Norris believes his driving is making the difference

Mercedes dominated the opening phase of the 2026 season, winning the first six races from pole. McLaren and Ferrari have since closed the gap with major upgrades.

Antonelli, who finished second at Zandvoort, said Mercedes was clearly behind McLaren. Russell agreed after taking third.

Lando Norris won at Zandvoort after starting from pole and holding off Mercedes during the race.

Norris does not completely agree with that assessment.

The McLaren driver argued that if he had not made the decisive move on Antonelli when he did, he would not have won the Dutch Grand Prix.

He also admitted that he rarely gives himself much credit, making his comments particularly notable.

Norris believes he is currently doing a better job than the rest of the field and that this is helping McLaren appear stronger than it might be on pure car performance.

Mercedes may still have the better all-round car

Norris does not claim that McLaren is definitively the strongest car in every situation.

Instead, he believes Mercedes has a more complete package across different track conditions, while McLaren has a more specific advantage in certain types of corners.

Norris says McLaren is particularly strong through high-speed corners, while Mercedes remains more competitive across a wider range of conditions.

At Zandvoort, Norris highlighted Turns 7 and 8 as areas where McLaren gained significant performance.

That makes circuit characteristics particularly important when comparing the two teams.

According to Norris, McLaren may not be the strongest everywhere, but his ability to maximize the car can close that difference.

Qualifying performances reinforce Norris’ argument

The comparison with Oscar Piastri is another reason Norris believes his own driving is contributing significantly to McLaren’s recent success.

Piastri finished sixth at Zandvoort and sits seventh in the championship, while Norris is fourth.

Lando Norris has built a significant qualifying advantage over McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in 2026.

Norris currently leads Piastri 13-4 in qualifying, including Sprint qualifying sessions.

That gap has become an important reference point for Norris because it suggests that the MCL40’s performance is not the only factor determining McLaren’s results.

He also pointed to Saturday’s Sprint as evidence. Russell dominated from pole, while Norris had to fight to hold off Antonelli for third.

Instead of making major changes to the car overnight, Norris said he focused heavily on improving his driving.

Norris says he turned the weekend around himself

The McLaren driver believes his work between the Sprint and the Grand Prix was critical.

He said he worked extensively on his driving and regained confidence after a less successful Sprint result.

That confidence allowed him to maximize the car when it mattered most and ultimately convert pole position into victory.

For Lando Norris McLaren, the message is clear: the MCL40 is extremely competitive, but Norris believes his ability to extract the final performance is a major reason the team has won the last two races.

Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari should have used team orders at Zandvoort, arguing that Charles Leclerc cost him valuable time during the Dutch Grand Prix.

Hamilton wanted Ferrari to act

Hamilton moved up to fifth after overtaking Oscar Piastri on lap 35. He then found himself behind a slower Leclerc, which prevented him from maintaining his progress.

Lewis Hamilton became frustrated after getting stuck behind Charles Leclerc during the Dutch Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver eventually complained over the radio, sarcastically criticizing the amount of time being lost.

Leclerc remained ahead until he made his pit stop on lap 43, finally freeing Hamilton to continue his recovery.

Hamilton later compared Ferrari’s approach with Mercedes, which instructed George Russell to give second place to Kimi Antonelli with seven laps remaining.

Mercedes’ decision influenced Hamilton’s frustration

Mercedes made the decision because Antonelli had significantly fresher tires and could potentially challenge Lando Norris for the lead.

Although Norris ultimately won, both Mercedes drivers accepted the decision and finished second and third.

Hamilton pointed to Mercedes’ decision to swap Russell and Antonelli as an example of more effective team management.

Hamilton believes Ferrari could have acted similarly when Leclerc was slowing his progress.

He said he wants to win and finds it difficult when he sees another team making an immediate strategic decision while Ferrari does not react in the same way.

Hamilton also said he intends to discuss the matter with Ferrari when he returns to the team.

Lost time behind Leclerc hurt Hamilton’s podium hopes

Hamilton eventually had a chance to fight Russell for third place, but a late Virtual Safety Car made the opportunity even harder.

The British driver said he was getting close to the Mercedes when the VSC was deployed on lap 70.

Hamilton believes the time lost behind Leclerc ultimately reduced his chances of challenging Russell for the final podium position.

He also pointed to Ferrari’s lack of straight-line speed.

Hamilton estimated Ferrari was losing around four tenths of a second per lap on the straights compared with Mercedes and McLaren.

That made overtaking particularly difficult and increased the importance of avoiding traffic.

Hamilton wants more engine performance from Ferrari

Despite his criticism, Hamilton praised Ferrari for bringing an upgrade to Zandvoort.

The seven-time world champion believes the team is moving closer to Mercedes, but he also thinks Ferrari must address its power deficit.

Hamilton praised Ferrari’s latest upgrade but believes the team still needs more engine performance to challenge Mercedes.

According to Hamilton, Ferrari has spent much of the season giving away performance on the straights.

He believes finding additional engine power is essential if Ferrari wants to close the gap and fight Mercedes consistently.

For Lewis Hamilton Ferrari, Zandvoort therefore produced a mixed result. The fourth-place finish was solid, but Hamilton believes Ferrari’s handling of team orders and its remaining power deficit prevented an even stronger result.