• Hungarian Grand Prix

Fire 'scary' for Heidfeld

ESPNF1 Staff
August 1, 2011 « Buemi rates drive through the field as one of his best | »
Nick Heidfeld was quick to get out of his burning Renault © Sutton Images
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Nick Heidfeld says that the fire which ended his Hungarian Grand Prix "was a bit scary" as he was forced to make a quick exit from his Renault.

Heidfeld was leaving his pit box when smoke was visible coming out of the front-exiting exhausts and rear of the car, before flames engulfed the left-hand sidepod and caused him to pull over and jump from the R31. It was the second time Heidfeld has endured such an issue, as his car also caught fire during practice in Barcelona earlier this season, but he said the latest fire was more severe.

"It was a lot more scary," Heidfeld told Autosport. "At Barcelona I looked left, saw a small fire and had time to stop. This one, I looked straight, saw the fire and it got hot. I really felt the temperature. It was a bit scary - much more than Barcelona."

Heidfeld also said the cause of the fire remained unknown, as he had just sat on the limiter for a number of seconds during a slow pit stop but that it wasn't a substantial delay.

"They are still looking into it. The stop was a bit longer, so that might be one of the reasons, but it is not like the stop was very long - it was not that I was stationary for 20 seconds or something. We are still investigating."

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