Audi boss Allan McNish held his breath during the opening lap of the Dutch GP. Shortly after he saw Max Verstappen crash into the barriers at Zandvoort, it was a close call that his own drivers – Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg – had collided. The Scottish team principal looks back on the moment when the Dutch Grand Prix threatened to end prematurely for Audi: ‘This is why I get gray hairs so quickly’.
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Already at the end of the opening lap, when the track was still drying, several drivers ran into trouble at Zandvoort. Max Verstappen went on the throttle too early and then lost control of his RB22. The driver suffered significant damage and could not finish his home race. However, Verstappen was not the only one surprised by the slippery track. Behind him, Gabriel Bortoleto spun, while his teammate Nico Hülkenberg barely managed to avoid the Brazilian.
‘Days of Thunder’
Audi director Allan McNish saw it all happen. “Max slid just in front of him (Bortoleto, ed.), and at that specific point it was by far the most difficult corner on the circuit. But only on the replay did it become clear how close our two cars were to each other,” he told the attending media. “When I first saw Gabi spin and then Nico appear on the other side of it, I didn’t immediately realize he had ended up in the smoke. So in terms of tension, it was a bit too much ‘Days of Thunder’ for me,” the boss refers to the motorsport film with Tom Cruise.
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Once again Gabico proved that being in sync is an advantage. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/RXzjpcSEWo
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— Audi Revolut F1 Team (@audif1_) August 27, 2026
The Scottish boss was pleased with the reaction skills of his two drivers. “They both did well,” he continues. “Gabi was able to keep the car off the wall. Really impressive in that situation and on a cambered corner. At the same time, it was also impressive of Nico to find his way through there. And so, from that perspective, it is very satisfying to come away with points in that first lap, because it could very easily have ended differently. But you have to participate to win, as they say, and we seized the opportunity.”
Still, the moment between Bortoleto and Hülkenberg did not leave McNish unaffected. “This is why I get gray hairs very quickly.”
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