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Audi Drivers Share Shocking Near Miss: ‘Way Too Close for Comfort’
Highlights
- Gabriel Bortoleto spun on wet final corner at Dutch Grand Prix
- Max Verstappen crashed hard into wall on slippery track
- Nico Hulkenberg avoided collision despite being blinded by smoke
- Bortoleto finished 13th; Hulkenberg achieved season-best eighth place
- Audi’s Allan McNish praised drivers’ skill in near-collision incident
Audi narrowly avoids a double retirement on lap one at Zandvoort as Gabriel Bortoleto spins at the wet final corner and Nico Hülkenberg threads through smoke to escape.
Pre-race rain leaves the banked Turn 14 slick. Max Verstappen hits the wall, then Bortoleto loops his car, throwing smoke that blinds his team-mate.
Hülkenberg judges the trajectory late, hesitates, then darts left. He calls it “too close for comfort,” and converts the escape into eighth, his best finish of 2026.
Bortoleto explains he reacts to Verstappen’s loss of control and then loses the rear himself. The banking helps him complete a 360-degree spin without contact.
“I was waiting, hesitating until the last moment.” — Nico Hülkenberg
The moment costs positions and rhythm. Bortoleto later finishes 13th, while scrutiny of his role intensifies after recent Audi changes.
For Audi, survival matters. Eighth strengthens Hülkenberg’s points contribution, underlined by his recent points haul, as the team works to get its house in order.
Audi avoids a double DNF; Hülkenberg scores a season-best P8.
Racing director Allan McNish rejects the idea luck decides it. He likens the smoke-shrouded scene to an oval, and praises both drivers for placement and composure.
Only the replays reveal the minimal margin between the Audis. The sequence highlights how rapidly visibility collapses when tyres light up on damp asphalt.
Turn 14’s steep banking and patchy grip raise the risk profile. The episode also fuels wider safety debate, including recent visibility concerns.
McNish: “No luck involved” in the near-miss.
Bortoleto’s development remains a live topic as Audi evaluates future line-ups. For now, clean execution turns a perilous start into a net positive return.
Visual Summary
↻
BORTOLETO
HULKENBERG
‼️
VERSTAPPEN
Audi Survives
Opening-Lap Chaos: Near Miss at Zandvoort
Opening-Lap Chaos: Near Miss at Zandvoort
Hulkenberg’s Save
From “too close for comfort” to P8—Audi’s season-best finish after a heart-stopping dodge through smoke.
⬆️ +4 positions gained
Bortoleto’s 360° Spin
Saved by the banking, survived the smoke: from dead last to 13th, as Audi dodges disaster twice in 5 seconds.
☔ Reactive spin, no damage
“It was very tricky. I wasn’t sure where he was going to go… I was waiting, hesitating until the last moment.”
—Nico Hulkenberg
Opening lap chaos, rain-soaked banking, and Audi’s nerves of steel — both cars survived, and scored, against the odds.
Zane Muniz writes across NASCAR, IndyCar, F1, IMSA, NHRA, and dirt-racing news. His breaking-news alerts and event previews ensure motorsport fans never miss a lap, drift, or drag-strip showdown.
