Hulkenberg opted to remain on track during an early safety car period in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, a strategy that didn’t pay off for Lando Norris of McLaren and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes when a second safety car wasn’t deployed as expected.
Finding himself in need of a pit stop during the race, Hulkenberg risked dropping out of contention for points. However, his teammate at Haas, Kevin Magnussen, played a pivotal role by overtaking Yuki Tsunoda’s RB, creating a buffer between Hulkenberg and the chasing cars.
Magnussen then slowed his pace to help Hulkenberg build a significant gap, ensuring he could pit without losing his position in the top ten.
This strategy proved successful, with Hulkenberg rejoining the race ahead of Magnussen and his pursuers, securing a valuable point for the team. Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu hailed the point as “gold dust,” given the team’s current position behind the top five teams in the 2024 season.
Expressing his gratitude, Hulkenberg acknowledged Magnussen’s teamwork and pledged to reciprocate the gesture in the future.
“I’m obviously happy about that one point,” said Hulkenberg. “Kevin played a great team game by helping my cause and holding up the pack behind him, which allowed me to secure the point. I’ll definitely return the favor later in the season.”
Reflecting on the race, Hulkenberg admitted he wasn’t aware of Magnussen’s assistance at the time but was pleasantly surprised by the gap he managed to open up.
“At first, I didn’t know why the gap had opened up, but I jokingly thought I was just flying ahead of the pack,” he chuckled. “It was a physically demanding race, with no tire management involved, but I enjoyed it.”
During his battle for tenth place, Hulkenberg briefly sparred with Ferrari newcomer Oliver Bearman, praising the 18-year-old’s performance throughout the weekend.
“He did well. He showed promise from FP3 and was quite aggressive,” Hulkenberg commented. “I tried to hold him off for a few laps, but they ultimately had a superior car advantage.”
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