Nico Hülkenberg expects red-flag situations and discussions about the restart are far from over. The Haas F1 Team driver believes the standings will restart after neutralizations are perceived as artificial entertainment.

Hülkenberg finished in Q3 for the second time this season last Saturday and was allowed to start Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix from tenth. The Germans had a solid match. After avoiding the chaos of the penultimate restart, he was fourth – and that could have been a podium thanks to Carlos Sainz’s penalty. However, he dropped back to P8 for the final restart, which ended up being P7. These are Hulkenberg’s first points since the 2020 Eiffel Grand Prix.

Element of entertainment

“It’s always very exciting, it’s part of the fun,” Hulkenberg told media after the race in Melbourne about the latest restart. “But it’s a different feeling as a driver and for the teams. You’ve worked hard all race and you only have a few laps to go and then you have to do the whole start. I think there are two sides. There will be a lot of debate to be heard.”

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Destroyed the whole weekend

“An Aston spun, but luckily he was allowed back into the race,” continued the 35-year-old, referring to Fernando Alonso, who was knocked out by Sainz but later dropped to third. “But when you’re in a good position from a good race, of course it’s a nightmare scenario for a driver. There’s a red flag, you restart, you get hit by someone, it’s not your fault, your whole weekend can be ruined. So it’s a bit artificial. I feel like it’s an element that feels. And I’m not sure if it’s the DNA that I know in Formula 1. I think there’s going to be a bit of a debate about that.”