FIA announce late demotion for F1 star at Chinese Grand Prix

Photo: © IMAGO

Chinese Grand Prix

FIA announce late demotion for F1 star at Chinese Grand Prix

There has been a late demotion at the Chinese Grand Prix

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Saturday 22 March 2025 03:03 Updated: 08:53

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The FIA have announced that Sauber Formula 1 star Nico Hulkenberg will start the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race from the pit-lane after a late change was made to his car.

Jo Bauer, the technical delegate for the sport's governing body, noted that changes had been made to the set-up of the suspension for Hulkenberg's car under parc ferme conditions.

Parc ferme, which literally means 'closed park' in French, is a designated time when cars can no longer be modified beyond certain parameters during a race weekend.

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As Shanghai is a sprint race, with only one practice session taking place prior to sprint qualification, parc ferme conditions kicked in sooner than usual.

Therefore when Sauber made late suspension changes to Hulkenberg's car, they knew that this would incur a pit-lane start for the German driver – something that has now been confirmed in an official ruling from the stewards.

However, it could well prove to be a prudent decision from the team given that the 37-year-old was due to start the sprint race down in P19, therefore only promoting Liam Lawson ahead of him.

Sauber will be hoping that they can claw back the difference from a performance standpoint over the entire race weekend, perhaps aware that a 100km sprint where points are only awarded to the top eight drivers will be too big of an ask to achieve from a 19th-place start anyway.

What points are on offer in F1 Sprint races?

In 2021, F1 drivers received three points for winning the sprint, two for finishing second, and one for coming in third.

As this offered little to no incentive to put cars on the line for drivers in the midfield, this was altered in 2022 to the rewards system, which remains in place this year.

Keen to strike a balance that keeps Sunday’s grand prix as the main focus, a points system was agreed upon that sees the victor score eight, the second-place finisher seven, all the way down to eighth place, where one point is awarded.

There is no point handed out for setting the fastest lap in these shorter races, a rule which has now also been abolished for 2025 in the longer grands prix.

How long is an F1 Sprint Race?

The F1 Sprint is a 100km race. This is significantly shorter than the 305km distance of a regular grand prix.

There are no mandatory pit stops required, meaning drivers will often select a tyre which can comfortably go the distance without too much managing.

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FIA Liam Lawson Nico Hulkenberg Sauber