Nico Hulkenberg compared the confusion during the mid-race rain showers at the German Grand Prix to that at the memorable Brazilian race back in 2012.
That year at Interlagos, the then-Force India driver could well have won as he led for a good number of laps before colliding with Lewis Hamilton and taking both drivers out.
At Hockenheim though, it was a different story as he benefited from Esteban Ocon and Marcus Ericsson taking themselves off to make up two places and would later move up ahead of the Haas cars as he realised his error in switching to intermediates more quickly.
The result would be a fifth-place finish, in the ‘best of the rest’ position, leaving the Renault man delighted.
“Yeah, very happy. First half, obviously, was standard, a little bit boring race but then once the rain hit us, it unfolded nicely,” Hulkenberg said.
“It was getting pretty tricky out there, trying to keep it on the road but that is where we made some gains. I am very happy with the outcome.
“Good points, I think the best finish of the season and at the home race, I couldn’t ask for much more. A little bit more crazy conditions would have been nice but I will take this too.”
With such a fine margin between staying on slicks or switching to the wet compound, as some parts of the circuit became wetter than others, the 31-year-old admits it was tough to know what call to make.
“Yeah, it is dynamic. It reminded me a lot of Brazil 2012 where it was a similar thing where you were sort of, ‘yeah I am pitting, no wait I am staying out’,” he added.
“It was that that kind of reminded me a lot about this. We made the right decisions and that is why we deserved the P5 today.”
