Nico Hulkenberg blames start for poor result

Nico Hulkenberg was thrown on the back foot from lights out at the Italian Grand Prix.

Hulkenberg who started normally was forced to take avoiding action when the Red Bull of Max Verstappen went into anti-stall right in front of him.

"My start off the line seemed okay, but then Max in front of me really bogged down and I really had to turn around him."

"That really gave me a poor start as well, once I had to turn the car it completely broke my traction and I lost all the drive and cars passed me left and right, so that was pretty poor from the start."

Hulkenberg was then passed by a few cars and was left grappling with Felipe Massa in the Williams.

"[I went] side-by-side into turn four with Felipe, and turn five obviously I had the outside, he was jumping on the kerb a bit."

"He gave me a little hit which put me off a bit on the exit, and I lost another position to [McLaren's] Fernando [Alonso] there, so not a great lap."

"Then I think in the first stint I lost a lot of time in traffic not being able to overtake Fernando, then getting overtaken by Max - all not very ideal."

Hulkenberg came home in tenth place and now sits in ninth in the driver standings with 46 points.

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  • Team Audi
  • Points 390
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  • Country DE
  • Date of b. Aug 19 1987 (38)
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