Silverstone, Aug 2 : Comeback man Nico Hulkenberg’s British Grand Prix ended before the race could start on Sunday due to a technical snag that saw him not being able to start his car.
The German driver – who has not driven in F1 since the end of last season – was called up by Racing Point as a last-minute replacement for Sergio Perez, who tested positive for COVID-19 late on Wednesday.
Hulkenberg jumped into the car just minutes before the first practice session of the weekend got underway on Friday, before qualifying 13th on the grid for today’s race, a report on Formula One’s official website, formula1.com, said.
“Gutted. Absolutely gutted,” the team said on Twitter.
Hulkenberg’s mechanics began packing up from his grid slot and returned to the garage to work on his car as the teams and drivers began their final preparations for the race.AA
It was initially thought he would start the race from the pitlane, but just moments before the formation lap, the team confirmed he would be unable to start the race.
Meanwhile, all F1 drivers lined up on the start-finish line ahead of the Grand Prix in their stance against racism. Seven drivers decided to stand while the rest took a knee, facing back towards the grid.
Kevin Magnussen of Haas, the two Alfa Romeo drivers Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen, Carlos Sainz of McLaren, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, Daniil Kvyat of Alpha Tauri and Max Verstappen of Red Bull were the ones who stood this time.
Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton wore a “black lives matter” t-shirt while the rest wore “end racism” t-shirts.
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from IANS service.