Nico Hülkenberg lost time on the first lap of Monza

The start was marked by less than successful take-offs from Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Esteban Gutierrez. While some drivers were able to take advantage, Nico Hülkenberg was a victim of the Red Bull driver’s move: « My start off the grid was good, but Max in front of me clearly slowed me down. I had to react and steer around him. This clearly hurt my traction and I lost speed, costing me several positions. »

But the German’s troubles did not stop there, as he then had to face a strong defense from Felipe Massa, which hindered him again: « Later in the lap, I was side by side in the fourth corner with Felipe, and I was on the outside in turn 5. Felipe jumped on the curbs, touched me slightly, and pushed me off the track at the exit, allowing Fernando to pass me. So it wasn’t a very good first lap. »

This is all the more detrimental for the German driver as he had the greatest difficulties in the world overtaking the McLaren driver. Once the first stint ended and Fernando Alonso was finally passed, Nico Hülkenberg’s race became much more solitary, finishing in 10th place.

On the other side of the garage, his teammate was able to do slightly better; finishing 8th but under heavy pressure from Felipe Massa. However, Sergio Pérez had shifted his strategy to try and stay ahead of Max Verstappen: « We tried an aggressive strategy with a second pit stop very early to try to cover Verstappen. But it turned out to be too early as I found myself under a lot of pressure at the end. It was very important to stay ahead of him and bring back as many points as possible. »

Despite everything, Sahara Force India leaves Lombardy again in fifth position in the constructors’ standings, just three points behind Williams. The battle between the two teams promises to be tight until the end of the season!

From our special correspondent in Monza