Nico Hulkenberg has confirmed that his DRS failure at the Japanese Grand Prix was a result of a 'small metal component' breaking on the rear wing on his Renault.
Hulkenberg qualified in 12th place at Suzuka and was running inside of the points for much of the race. Being on the faster supersoft tyre for his final stint, the 30 year old had a good chance to get a large haul of points and improve Renault's standing in the Constructors' Championship.
“That was frustrating as a good points haul was possible," said Hulkenberg, reflecting on his afternoon in Japan which ended in retirement.
“I had fresh Super Soft tyres for a short final stint. I was able to overtake a Toro Rosso straight after my pit-stop to then set about attacking the Haas."
Hulkenberg confirmed that the failure of a small component on his rear wing was responsible for his DRS remaining open after it was used.
“It’s a shame, but a small metal component broke on the DRS mechanism which left it stuck open. We’ll look at why it broke as we missed a good opportunity.
“I’m sure we can fight back, the car was pretty decent in the race and there’s plenty more to come from us in the final four Grands Prix,” he added.
As a result of Hulkenberg's DRS failure, Renault failed to secure any points in Japan, with Jolyon Palmer finishing down in 12th place. A doube points finish for Haas F1 means that Renault has been dropped to eighth in the Constructors' Championship, only one point behind the American outfit with four races remaining.
