Force India believes Nico Hulkenberg's dramatic front wing failure in
the Hungarian Grand Prix was probably caused by vibrations over kerbs
at the Hungaroring Formula 1 circuit.
Hulkenberg crashed out of the race at Turn 1 when his front wing failed at high speed, sending him into the tyre wall.
It
was the second big accident of the weekend for Force India, after
Sergio Perez rolled in free practice following a suspension failure from
running over the kerbs too much.
Force India will investigate Hulkenberg's failure, but the team's chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer reckons it was also caused by the kerbs.
"We're investigating how and why it failed and I think it's got something to do with the unique inputs the car gets here over the kerbs and the rumble strips," Szafnauer told AUTOSPORT.
"We don't test anywhere else like this so you can't just test and say you'll be fine there [in Hungary].
"This is the only circuit like this, and Ferrari had a front wing failure too [with Kimi Raikkonen in practice], and Kimi also lost a camera pod in the race.
"That's all down to vibrations and how you mount the parts."
Szafnauer added changes may need to be made to the kerbs, but Force India will also strengthen its parts.
"Whether they change [the circuit] or we change the car to suit, you've got to do one of the two," he said.
"We've not had anything like this before, and it's tough because the pace of the car has really improved.
"We can definitely fix this and come back and be reliable. The wishbone is already fixed and we'll fix the wing."
Hulkenberg was battling with the Red Bulls - which both finished on the podium - earlier in the race, and Force India feels it let a very good result slip away.
"To have something like this happen when there are opportunities for us and to not take it, that's tough," said Szafnauer.
"When Nico's wing failed we were ahead of Kvyat - I don't think Kvyat was ahead of us the whole race.
"Could we have kept him behind us? Nico thinks maybe, maybe not.
"I hate to say we'd have been on the podium, but we were there or thereabouts with Kvyat."
Force India changed Perez's front wing mid-race as a precaution, and the Mexican retired from the race due to a long brake pedal late-on.
Autosport.com
Hulkenberg crashed out of the race at Turn 1 when his front wing failed at high speed, sending him into the tyre wall.
It
was the second big accident of the weekend for Force India, after
Sergio Perez rolled in free practice following a suspension failure from
running over the kerbs too much.Force India will investigate Hulkenberg's failure, but the team's chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer reckons it was also caused by the kerbs.
"We're investigating how and why it failed and I think it's got something to do with the unique inputs the car gets here over the kerbs and the rumble strips," Szafnauer told AUTOSPORT.
"We don't test anywhere else like this so you can't just test and say you'll be fine there [in Hungary].
"This is the only circuit like this, and Ferrari had a front wing failure too [with Kimi Raikkonen in practice], and Kimi also lost a camera pod in the race.
"That's all down to vibrations and how you mount the parts."
Szafnauer added changes may need to be made to the kerbs, but Force India will also strengthen its parts.
"Whether they change [the circuit] or we change the car to suit, you've got to do one of the two," he said.
"We've not had anything like this before, and it's tough because the pace of the car has really improved.
"We can definitely fix this and come back and be reliable. The wishbone is already fixed and we'll fix the wing."
Hulkenberg was battling with the Red Bulls - which both finished on the podium - earlier in the race, and Force India feels it let a very good result slip away.
"To have something like this happen when there are opportunities for us and to not take it, that's tough," said Szafnauer.
"When Nico's wing failed we were ahead of Kvyat - I don't think Kvyat was ahead of us the whole race.
"Could we have kept him behind us? Nico thinks maybe, maybe not.
"I hate to say we'd have been on the podium, but we were there or thereabouts with Kvyat."
Force India changed Perez's front wing mid-race as a precaution, and the Mexican retired from the race due to a long brake pedal late-on.
Autosport.com
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