F1 2025: Will disqualified star miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

Hulkenberg during Test Day 1 in Bahrain — Photo: © IMAGO

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Will disqualified F1 star miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

Nico Hulkenberg was the latest driver to be disqualified by the FIA in 2025

By Kerry Violet.

Tuesday 15 April 2025 17:00

Following the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, one Formula 1 star was dealt a huge blow when he was disqualified by the FIA.

Whilst it had been a disappointing day out on track for Nico Hulkenberg, finishing P13 and outside the points, things would get worse post-race when his car underwent inspection.

During their post-race checks, the FIA found that the skid wear of his Sauber was under the minimum thickness.

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Hulkenberg is not the only star of the grid to fall victim to a skid wear disqualification verdict this season, with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton stripped of his P6 finish at the Chinese GP earlier this month for the same reason.

Will Nico Hulkenberg race at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

FIA disqualifications do not impact upcoming races, in fact, the most likely way that a driver would be banned from an F1 race would be to accrue 12 penalty points in a calendar year.

This unfavorable feat was achieved by Hulkenberg's 2024 team-mate, Kevin Magnussen, who was banned from competing in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last season after reaching the penalty point limit at the Italian Grand Prix with Haas.

Hulkenberg currently has four penalty points to his name which are set to expire this year. Two of those points came from forcing the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso off the track during the Austrian Grand Prix sprint last season, whilst the others were handed to him for causing a collision with Yuki Tsunoda at the 2024 Italian GP.

The 37-year-old will be hoping to start afresh at Jeddah Corniche Circuit this weekend to round of the first triple-header race weekend of the year, during which he has failed to accumulate any points so far.

Lewis Hamilton FIA Nico Hulkenberg Kevin Magnussen Saudi Arabian Grand Prix