Hulkenberg apologises to Bearman after Mexico City clash

Nico Hulkenberg has said he apologised to Oliver Bearman after the pair collided on the opening lap of the restart at the Mexico City Grand Prix, a clash that ended the Haas driver's race. Hulkenberg tapped the rear of Bearman's car as the field bunched up, sending the Briton into a spin from which he could not recover, and the damage forced him to retire.

Hulkenberg received a 10-second time penalty for the incident, which dropped him from a potential points finish to 16th in the final classification. He said he went to see Bearman and the team straight after his media duties and apologised to them. He explained that he lost downforce and experienced some rear lock in the wake of the other cars, and could not stop in time.

Hulkenberg accepted responsibility, saying the contact was not intentional but was not ideal. "It's on me," he said. "It's part of racing; in a way, these things can easily happen, and obviously I misjudged that one a little bit."