Hulkenberg "couldn't see" Grosjean before airborne crash

The duo were fighting over seventh place as they approached the Turn 8/9 chicane at the end of the Yas Marina Circuit's main straight.

They both locked up and went deep into Turn 8, but Grosjean remained on Hulkenberg’s right-hand side for the apex of Turn 9 and they touched wheels – sending the German driver into a dramatic series of flips towards the barriers on the edge of the track.

“[It was] very disappointing but I think we have to put it down as a racing incident,” Hulkenberg told Sky Sports after the race.

“Racing Romain into Turn 8 – we both locked up, I went wide, he went even wider so I thought he ran off the track and I had Turn 9 to myself that’s why I went for the apex.

“But obviously he was still there and wheels made contact and the rest we’ve seen – just a couple of flips, which obviously look spectacular but nothing really dramatic.

“It looked spectacular, [but] not a hard crash – no heavy G impact – so no problem from that point of view.

“[It’s] unfortunate I didn’t see Romain. We both raced hard into Turn 8, both late on the brakes.

“I couldn’t see him – he was in my blindspot and the rest is history.

“Still, disappointing because it’s a long build-up of a race weekend and to be out so quickly is just always very hard to swallow and frustrating.”

Hulkenberg remained in his wrecked car – saying he was “hanging here like a cow” over his team radio – before it was safely overturned by marshals, who extinguished a small fire at the rear.