Nico Hulkenberg promises to repay Kevin Magnussen for ‘unsportsmanlike’ tactics at Saudi Arabia that helped Haas to secure first points

Kevin Magnussen's defense against the trailing drivers enabled Nico Hulkenberg to score a crucial single point at the Saudi Arabian GP.

Nico Hulkenberg promises to repay Kevin Magnussen for ‘unsportsmanlike’ tactics at Saudi Arabia that helped Haas to secure first points

Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen (Via IMAGO)

The Saudi Arabian GP turned out to bring one crucial point to the Haas F1 team. Nico Hulkenberg scored the sole point for the American constructor in Formula 1. However, the driver was provided with a great opportunity to score points by his teammate Kevin Magnussen. Hence, the German driver has shared his opinions about the great teamwork displayed by the Danish driver.

The early safety car due to Lance Stroll‘s crash at the Saudi Arabian GP had shaken the strategies of the multiple teams. Multiple drivers pit under the safety car early, with the exception of Nico Hulkenberg and also other drivers. Hence, the German driver had to pit, which would’ve ousted him from points of contention. However, Kevin Magnussen pulled ahead of VCARB’s Yuki Tsunoda and fended off well against him to ensure that Hulkenberg stayed within points. R B furious of the result demanded FIA intervention to sure such tactics won’t be used again.

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The 31-year-old claimed that he was satisfied with the points scored. Additionally, Hulkenberg pointed towards the great team game by Magnussen. The German driver mentioned how he was informed of the great defense by his Danish counterpart down the race to ensure the driver scored points down the race.

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One point, I'm obviously happy about that, Great team effort, great team game by Kevin. I was told that he really helped my case by holding up the pack behind him, which obviously helped open up the window for me to take the point...A very good job from him on that side. And thank you, I'll return the favour later in the season.
Hulkenberg said, as reported by motorsport.com.

Apart from this, Hulkenberg praised the efforts of his counterpart which enabled him to further score points at the Saudi Arabian GP. As a result, the German assured his team as well as Magnussen that he would surely return the favor sometime later down the season. Hence, the Haas F1 team could potentially score a much better finish in the 2024 season as compared to the previous season.

Nico Hulkenberg expressed surprise over the gap from the trailing drivers

Nico Hulkenberg wasn’t aware of his teammate’s defense during the Saudi Arabian GP. However, after acknowledging Magnussen’s efforts to ensure his points down the race, the driver mentioned his surprise. The German driver shared his surprise after learning about the huge gaps he had from trailing drivers on the grid because of Dane’s great defense.

Nico Hulkenberg (via imago)
Nico Hulkenberg (via imago)

Additionally, Hulkenberg added how he was just racing down the circuit without focusing on saving the tires on the track. However, the 36-year-old completely enjoyed the Saudi Arabian GP. Apart from this, the points scored down the race could prove to be crucial during the latter half of the season in Formula 1.

The Haas F1 team has had a promising performance so far, especially during the qualifying sessions. Hence, Ayao Komatsu might just have what it takes to propel the team to great results down the season. However, time will tell about how the 2024 season pans out for the American constructor in Formula 1 after sustaining a highly mediocre season last time around.

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