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Race 5: Hulkenberg in for Perez again

Nico Hulkenberg will once again stand in for Sergio Perez in this weekend’s second Silverstone outing, the Racing Point team has confirmed.

That means that the German driver will be heading to the UK circuit to secure a position for the Emirates Formula One 70th Anniversary Grand Prix this Sunday.

The ‘Hulk’ had stepped into the fold within hours of the ‘Pink Mercedez’ team confirming that the 30-year-old Mexican driver couldn’t compete last week. After a quick kit check and seat fitting, Hulkenberg was out on the circuit.

Fingers crossed he can get a race this weekend.

 

Engine problems

 

Despite a solid effort on the practice and qualification sessions last week, Racing Point’s mechanics identified a problem with the car, forcing him to bow out before he could race.

Racing Point’s CEO Otmar Szafnauer said that the problem was linked to a sheared bolt inside the power unit.  This meant that the team weren’t able to start the car.

 

 

‘It looks like a bolt sheared within the clutch housing and that bolt got caught and therefore wouldn’t allow the internal combustion engine to turn over. So where the bolt had fallen off it got jammed and therefore we couldn’t turn the engine over’, he explained.

That didn’t deter the German, and he’ll have a second chance this weekend to get on the grid and hopefully a chance of points.

The fan favourite has raced in 177 Formula One races but has not managed to clinch a podium position. This may well be his time.

Hülkenberg raced with Force India in 2012 and between 2014 and 2016.  He was previously rumoured to be returning to Renault but lost out to the manufacturer sticking with Fernando Alonso, the double world champion (2005 & 2006).

‘Got the keys again’, he proudly posted on his Twitter on Friday. The image shows him in cartoon form, donning a Hulk outfit and race overalls.

 

 

Round four closes with burst tyres and sparks

 

Nearly everything in the British Grand Prix finished as it had started, but that was until the drama of the penultimate lap.

Both Mercedes drivers; Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas lead the race from first and second position. However, as they careered through the penultimate lap of the race, Bottas suffered a spectacular puncture in his front left tyre.

Then, within minutes, his team-mate suffered the same fate. While the Finn was able to make it back to the pits, Hamilton was left to guide his now sparking Mercedes to the checkered flag.

A golden opportunity opened for the Red Bull Racing Honda driver, Max Verstappen. Riding on fresh tyres, he quickly took advantage of the ailing Mercedes and pushed himself to clinch second place.

Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc took third place on the podium.

The Standings

 

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas continue to lead the standings, on  88 points and 58 respectively. Max Verstappen now sits on 52 points, while Mclaren Renault’s Lando Norris sits on 36 points. Fifth on the standings is the Monégasque driver, Charles Leclerc (33).

 

 

(All data visualised above has been taken from the Formula One website and is the property of its respective owners.)

 

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Emirates Grand Prix schedule – 

 

Practice 1 – August 7th – 12:00 – 13:30 

Practice 2 – August 7th – 16:00 – 17:30

Practice 3 – August 8th – 12:00 – 13:00

Qualifying – August 8th – 15:00 – 16:00

Race Day – August 9th – 15:10 – 17:10

 

(All times in Central European Time)

 

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Aug 07, 2020