Audi drivers handed differing stewards' verdicts after USGP practice incidents

Audi drivers Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg have both escaped sanction from the United States Grand Prix stewards after differing incidents during final practice at the Circuit of the Americas.

Bortoleto was alleged to have impeded Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton into the sharp left-hander at Turn 12. Hamilton, who eventually topped an FP3 timesheet for the first time in two years, was on a fast lap but had to brake hard into the corner as Bortoleto was travelling slowly and on the racing line.

Despite a clear impeding breach, the stewards imposed a warning on Bortoleto.

A stewards' document read: "When car 44 [Hamilton] was on a push lap approaching turn 12, car 5 [Bortoleto], on an in-lap, was travelling at a lower speed in a position which compromised car 44’s braking. Car 44 had to abort the lap.

"The driver of car 5 explained that he had received a warning from his engineer some 15 seconds earlier of car 44’s approach but he was busy dealing with his car on the approach to turn 12 and overlooked that warning.

"He received no reminder of car 44’s approach before turn 12. He explained that because the entry to turn 12 is downhill, he only saw car 44 at the last moment, released the brakes and went into the run-off area.

"He agreed that the move was too late and he had compromised car 44’s lap. Car 44’s team representative acknowledged that the incident was not dangerous.

"The stewards determined that car 5 unnecessarily impeded car 44 and impose a warning consistent with previous incidents of this type in free practice sessions."

Bortoleto already faces an 80-place grid penalty for a double power unit change this weekend.

Hulkenberg 'easily managed' incident

The stewards, meanwhile, have decided to take no further action against Hulkenberg following an alleged practice start infringement in the pit lane.

A stewards' document read: "The team representative explained that the driver’s rear vision was obscured by the car behind at the practice start location, and that the driver had no idea of the approach of car 18 [Lance Stroll].

"He further explained that the start procedure can take between five and 15 seconds so at the time the driver took the decision to commence that procedure, the proximity of car 18 would not have been obvious to him.

"The situation was compounded by the fact that the pit lane exit road requires cars performing practice starts to merge with cars travelling down the fast lane directly to the pit exit, over a very short distance.

"The stewards noted that although the driver of car 18 had to brake, the situation was determined not to be dangerous and was easily managed by both drivers. Accordingly, a decision of no further action was taken."