Steiner: 'Hulkenberg is a bully and he got away with it!'

Haas boss Guenther Steiner labeled Nico Hulkenberg a bully for asking the stewards to hand a more severe penalty to Kevin Magnussen following an on-track clash between the two drivers.

The Renault and Haas drivers battled it out in the latter part of the race when Magnussen defended his P11 position against Hulkenberg by running the German wide on the outside of Turn 2.

Magnussen was subsequently handed a 5-second penalty by the stewards for the move, but after the race, and after a verbal spat between the two men in the media pen, Hulkenberg visited the Hungarian GP stewards and attempted to have the penalty increased.

The initiative did not go down well with Steiner.

"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."

• Hulkenberg and Magnussen locked in verbal spat!

Steiner revisited the start of the race when Hulkenberg clashed with Romain Grosjean, forcing the Frenchman wide at the first corner.

The incident was investigated by the stewards but no action was taken against the Renault driver.

"Yeah, after what he (Hulkenberg) did at Turn 1! You pick and choose here," said Steiner.

"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."

When confronted by Hulkenberg, who mockingly congratulated his rival for his sportsmanship, Magnussen told his nemesis to "Suck my ball, honey".

Steiner however says his driver was right to be rude.

"It's the right way to say it," he said.

"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."

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