Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Sainz crash highlights incredible Abu Dhabi Grand Prix stat

Cal Gaunt Sunday 26 November 2023 11:12

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix witnessed two red flags in one session when Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg crashed during FP2.

Sainz's forceful collision with the barriers at turn three occurred within the first eight minutes, resulting in substantial damage to his car and the barriers.

Marshals spent nearly half an hour repairing the aftermath.

Shortly after the restart, Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg lost control of his car's rear end, spinning and colliding with the inner track wall.

Carlos Sainz caused the first of two red flags in FP2

Nico Hulkenberg span out just minutes after the first red flag restart

An Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race has never been red flagged before

Past Abu Dhabi incidents could have seen red flags

Interestingly, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix feature race has never experienced a red flag in its 15-year history, though past incidents suggest that under the latest FIA safety protocols, that may well have been different.

In the 2010 race, Michael Schumacher's attempt to pass Nico Rosberg led to a spin and a head-on collision with Vitantonio Liuzzi, a scenario that would likely prompt a red flag today.

In 2018, Nico Hulkenberg's first-lap crash and barrel-roll resulted in him being briefly trapped in his Renault. Quick-acting marshals extinguished a small fire, righted the car, and Hulkenberg emerged unharmed.

His radio message, "I'm hanging here like a cow… get me out of this car," personified what was another startling moment that might have led to a red flag had it occurred in 2023.

Stats curated by Sundaram Ramaswami. For more, follow @‌f1statsguru on Twitter.

FIA Carlos Sainz Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Nico Hulkenberg FP2 red flag

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