FIA announce LATE penalty verdict for F1 star at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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FIA announce LATE penalty verdict for F1 star at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The FIA have decided on a late penalty in Abu Dhabi

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 8 December 2024 09:55

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The FIA have announced a late penalty verdict for a Formula 1 star at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Lando Norris will start Sunday’s race in pole position, after McLaren came out on top in their battle against Ferrari for the constructors’ championship.

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Whilst Carlos Sainz will start a respectable P3, his team-mate Charles Leclerc will have to fight his way back from P20 after being slammed with a 10-place grid penalty.

However, it was Nico Hulkenberg who stole the headlines in Abu Dhabi, after he set the fourth fastest time in a spectacular result for Haas.

Charles Leclerc has been thrashed with a 10-place grid penalty in Abu Dhabi

Nico Hulkenberg enjoyed a spectacular result in Abu Dhabi

FIA announce Nico Hulkenberg penalty decision

However, the German driver was placed under investigation by the FIA for an alleged infringement during qualifying.

According to the governing body, Hulkenberg overtook two cars in the tunnel section of the pit exit road, which is a breach of Article 12.2.1 i).

Whilst the stewards acknowledged that the position of the team’s garages limited their options to send a driver out on track, they concluded that overtaking in the pit exit could lead to a potentially dangerous situation.

Therefore, Hulkenberg received a three-place grid drop and will start the race in P7, crucially behind his Alpine rival Pierre Gasly.

Haas are currently vying with Alpine and RB for sixth in the constructors’, with the American team only five points away from catching the French outfit.

However, the Haas has demonstrated strong pace across the Abu Dhabi GP weekend, and Hulkenberg will have an opportunity to take the fight to Alpine on the track.