Nico Hülkenberg Explains DNF at F1 Barcelona GP

Nico Hülkenberg suffered a DNF at the F1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday.

The German driver bowed out of the 66-lap race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Lap 31.

What happened?

Hülkenberg was chasing the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson coming out of Turn 12.

Lawson went off track towards the approach of Turn 13, leaving a spray of gravel in the path of Hülkenberg.

This led to the kill-switch on his car to be activated, shutting off the electronics on the car completely.

Why it matters for Nico Hülkenberg

Hülkenberg explained that a stone from the gravel pulled the emergency trigger on the left of the roll hoop.

He told media, including Motorsport Week, that he had never seen or heard about this in his career.

Reaction from Liam Lawson

Lawson, who stayed in the race, took the chequered flag for the Faenza-based team in a solid ninth place.

He wasn't even aware that he had caused Hülkenberg's DNF.

Lawson exclaimed, "Are you serious," when informed how the German's race had ended owing to errant debris he had showered on the track.

The kill-switch is an essential part of the safety protocols in F1, helping marshals quickly deactivate the ERS and ICE systems.

Hülkenberg described the incident as "very unlucky, strange".

The timing of the incident was unfortunate, with two higher-placed cars dropping out later in the race.

Hülkenberg said, "The racing world doesn’t want us to score yet."

On 15 June, Hülkenberg called for a crucial F1 rule-change after ‘unsporting’ Monaco tactics.