Audi receive huge F1 fine after Nico Hulkenberg statement released

Audi has been handed a €30,000 fine by F1 stewards, €20,000 of which is suspended for an unsafe situation involving Nico Hulkenberg and a mechanic in the Bahrain GP in Malaysia.

At the final stop under the late safety car, there was confusion after Hulkenberg appeared to move off whilst the front wing flap angle was being adjusted by a mechanic.

The German had received a green light, indicating to him to pull away, but he stopped within 0.2s and avoided contact with the mechanic, as part of the team's release procedure, where an additional manual safety check is carried out by a controller. 

This controller stopped the car by turning the light back to red, thus stopping Hulkenberg, whose car was found to have not passed by the point under which an unsafe releasre would have been declared.

The stewards felt that whilst no unsafe release had occured, an unsafe situation had been caused by the early release and handed Audi the €30,000 fine, two-thirds of which is suspended for one year.

It means that provided Audi is not involved in a similar offence in the next 12 months, it will only pay €10,000.

Hulkenberg would ultimately go onto finish in 11th place for the fourth time this season, narrowly being pipped to a point by Arvid Lindblad's Racing Bulls machine.

"In response to queries regarding Nico's pit-stop during today's race, we can confirm that there was no contact made between the car and the crew member on the front left of the car," began an Audi statement, issued to media, including RacingNews365.

"While the front wing adjuster remained stuck, the system reacted, and after 0.2s of green light, the red light was shown again to signal the driver to stop. 

"Nico reacted to this, and the operator finished the operation safely. The crew member was unaffected and took part in all the team's subsequent pit stops."

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Hulkenberg's reflections

After his 11th place, Hulkenberg wished his best to the mechanic involved.

"The guy who does the front wing, somehow his screwdriver got stuck," Hulkenberg told media, including RacingNews365.

"It wasn't the cleanest stop, but I hope he is okay."

Turning to the formation lap chaos, Hulkenberg described the events as "peculiar."

"It was very peculiar and strange, and it was a hell of a day with so many weird things happening in the race, so there's a lot to take in and digest."