HUNGARORING -- Haas boss Guenther Steiner has hit out at Nico Hulkenberg for visiting the stewards to ask that Kevin Magnussen get a more severe penalty for their incident late in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
While battling for 11th place, Magnussen held the racing line through Turn 2 when Hulkenberg was on the outside of the corner, forcing the Renault driver across the grass. The moment earned Magnussen a five-second time penalty and sparked a foul-mouthed exchange in the TV pen after the race when Hulkenberg sarcastically congratulated the Dane for being the most sporting driver on the grid.
Hulkenberg has escaped a penalty of his own at the start of the race when he clipped Magnussen's teammate Romain Grosjean, briefly sending the Frenchman's car off the ground. Magnussen had been running directly behind the incident and later came on the radio to say: ""If you can do what Hulkenberg did to Romain, then it's going to be a dirty race."
Steiner was in no doubt Hulkenberg had crossed a line by asking for a bigger penalty for the second incident.
"I sum it up like: Nico was the guy who destroyed Romain's race, and then we get a penalty with Kevin," he said. "Kevin did the right thing and stood his point there, in my opinion. Why would he lift? It's a tough battle.
"Nico went to the stewards to ask for a harsher penalty for Kevin, which I think is childish, immature... Whoever has done that? I'm almost speechless. I respect Nico as a driver and as a human being but what happened there -- you don't ask for a more severe penalty for somebody."
Steiner suggested it is not the first time Hulkenberg has acted unreasonably and believes it is time someone stood up to the former Le Mans 24 Hours winner.
Speaking about Hulkenberg calling Magnussen unsporting, Steiner said"Yeah, after what he did at Turn 1! You pick and choose here. Is it supportive to run into Romain? He's a bully and he got away with it for a long time and now maybe it's time someone stood up to him. He's a good driver but he doesn't need to be like this.
"In general, he does his job, he's doing a good job for himself. If other people went down and obey with what he's saying, it's fine, I don't think we have to. He's no world champion.
The video clip of Magnussen telling Hulkenberg "suck my balls" after his sarcastic compliment went viral on social media after the race.
When asked if Magnussen was right to use that language, Steiner said: "It's the right way to say it. Why would he say anything else? He got the penalty, if [Nico] thinks he needs more he needs to look at his Turn 1 incident."
With F1 set for the four-week summer break, Steiner said he will speak to Hulkenberg about the race incidents and subsequent spat at the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of August.