How Hulkenberg Avoided Disaster With Bortoleto at Zandvoort

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123Helmets Editorial Team

2026 Dutch Grand Prix

Nico Hulkenberg described a lap-one near miss with Audi team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto as “too close for comfort” after a spin at Zandvoort’s final corner nearly triggered a serious crash in the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix.

Key Takeaways

Nico Hulkenberg swerved around a stationary, spinning Gabriel Bortoleto at Zandvoort’s final banked corner on lap one of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen crashed heavily at the same corner moments earlier, triggering the chain reaction that caught out Bortoleto.

Audi racing director Allan McNish, a three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner, said the danger was only fully clear on video replay.

Hulkenberg called the moment ‘scary’ and said only luck and late judgement kept the two Audi cars from colliding.

What Happened at Zandvoort’s Final Corner

A damp patch at Zandvoort’s banked final corner turned the opening lap of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix into a moment of real danger for Audi. The circuit had mostly dried after a pre-race shower, tempting teams onto slick tyres, but the final corner stayed wetter than the rest of the track and caught several drivers out. Max Verstappen crashed heavily there at the end of lap one, and in the chaos that followed, Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi span through a full 360 degrees and came to a stop in the middle of the circuit.

With cars arriving at speed and Bortoleto stationary, oncoming drivers had to take evasive action in a matter of seconds. Nico Hulkenberg, running close behind his team-mate, was the closest to disaster.

How Hulkenberg Avoided the Collision

Nico Hulkenberg avoided hitting Gabriel Bortoleto by hesitating until the last possible moment and swerving to the left of the spinning Audi. “It was scary, sketchy,” Hulkenberg said afterward. “The whole track was very dry, just that corner stayed much wetter and caught people out. It was very tricky and I wasn’t sure where he was going to go, if he was going to roll up or roll down. I was waiting, hesitating until the last moment.”

Hulkenberg said the margin between the two cars was barely measurable. “I saw it happen almost in slow motion at that speed. A sheet of paper would have fit between us, but not much more.” He credited a mix of instinct and fortune for the outcome, calling it “a good portion of luck not to hit each other there, but that was too close for comfort.”

Allan McNish’s View From the Pitwall

Audi racing director Allan McNish said he watched both Hulkenberg and Bortoleto’s onboard footage in real time as the incident unfolded. “I live every second with them, which is why I’m turning grey very quickly at times,” said McNish, a three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner. “Max shunted in front of him, and it was the trickiest corner on the circuit by a long way at that particular point.”

McNish added that the true scale of the danger only became clear once he reviewed the footage after the fact. “It was only on the replay where it was quite evident how close it was between our two cars. When I first saw Gabriel spinning and then Nico coming out the other side, I didn’t grasp in the moment just how narrow that gap actually was.”

For a team still building its identity in its first seasons as a full works entry, the incident was a reminder of how quickly a promising race weekend can turn on a single wet patch of asphalt.

A Lap-One Moment Worth Remembering

The Hulkenberg-Bortoleto near miss is now one of the defining images of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix weekend, even though no contact was made. Zandvoort’s banked final corner has long been one of the most demanding parts of the calendar, and the combination of a drying track, Verstappen’s earlier crash, and Bortoleto’s spin created a genuinely hazardous few seconds for the entire midfield.

Moments like this, captured from onboard cameras and broadcast replays, are exactly the kind of split-second racing drama that fans replay for years afterward — the sort of scene that makes a driver’s helmet design and livery instantly recognizable in freeze-frame. Audi’s colors on both cars were clearly visible throughout the incident, giving the moment a distinct visual identity even amid the confusion of the spin.

“It was scary, sketchy. A good portion of luck not to hit each other there, but that was too close for comfort.”

— Nico Hulkenberg, Audi

“I live every second with them, which is why I’m turning grey very quickly at times.”

— Allan McNish, Audi Racing Director

FAQ

Q: What caused the Hulkenberg-Bortoleto near miss at Zandvoort?
A damp patch at Zandvoort’s final banked corner caught out Gabriel Bortoleto after Max Verstappen crashed there moments earlier, sending Bortoleto into a 360-degree spin that left his Audi stationary in Nico Hulkenberg’s path.

Q: Did the two Audi cars actually make contact?
No, Nico Hulkenberg swerved around the left side of Gabriel Bortoleto’s spinning car, avoiding contact by a margin he described as barely wider than a sheet of paper.

Q: What lap did the incident happen on?
The incident occurred at the end of lap one of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, shortly after Max Verstappen’s crash at the same corner.

Q: Who is Allan McNish and what did he say about the moment?
Allan McNish is Audi’s racing director and a three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner; he said the danger only became fully clear when he reviewed the onboard replay after the race.

Q: Why was Zandvoort’s final corner so treacherous that day?
The final corner remained wetter than the rest of the circuit despite a general drying track, catching several drivers, including Max Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto, off guard on slick tyres.