Before incurring the penalty given to him by the referee after the qualifications, Nico Hulkenberg had put in a fantastic performance, finishing fourth ahead of Max Verstappen. Unfortunately, due to the penalty, the German from Haas will have to start tomorrow from seventh position.
Penalty for Hulkenberg: Goodbye to fourth place on the grid
Nico Hulkenberg accomplished a real feat in qualifying his Haas in fourth position. Yet another great performance by the German this year, who currently still has a lot to play for. Unfortunately, however, during qualifying, one of his maneuvers ended up under the magnifying glass of the stewards. In fact, the number 27 driver overtook two cars in the section of the pitlane exit lane that passes under the characteristic tunnel of the Abu Dhabi circuit. Normally, after crossing the line that delimits the pitlane, you can turn off the limiter and race as if you were in a race. We saw it during qualifying for the Brazilian GP, with Max Verstappen who, in order to make his way, overtook some cars in front of him that were proceeding slowly.
In this case, however, the context was very different. Hulkenberg was penalized because he broke article 12.2.1 i) of the International Sporting Code and note 12.4 of the race director. Apparently, the provisions of the latter prohibit drivers from overtaking other cars in certain points of the track. One of these is precisely the tunnel that leads the cars from the pits to the track. In fact, a contact in that area could be particularly complicated and difficult for the race stewards to resolve. For this reason, Nico Hulkenberg will have to serve a three-place penalty, thus starting from the seventh spot on the grid.
Hulkenberg and Haas vs Alpine and Gasly: There's still a lot to play for
While on one hand the cameras are focused on the challenge between McLaren and Ferrari, on the other the constructors' championship still has a lot to say even in the lower middle class positions. Haas and Alpine are challenging each other to conquer the sixth place in the standings, both motivated by the most juicy prize money that will go to the winning team of the clash. The French team has recovered several points from the Texas GP to today. Especially thanks to the double podium achieved in Interlagos. Haas on the other hand has often been found close to the top ten throughout the year, exploiting every opportunity to score points thanks to both drivers. As of today, therefore, the situation is as follows: Alpine 59 points, against Haas' 54.
But that's not all. In the championship standings drivers Nico Hulkenberg is tenth at 37 points, with Gasly however following him closely in eleventh position. Only one point separates the Frenchman from the German, with tomorrow's race still to be run. Qualifying seemed to have put the fate of these verdicts in the hands of Hulkenberg and Haas. But after the penalty received, the German will start seventh, while Gasly will start from fifth position. Their teammates are further away, with Magnussen fourteenth and Doohan who will start seventeenth, thanks to the penalties received by Albon, Struck e Leclerc for the change of some components on their cars. In short, the four-way fight between Haas and Alpine and Hulkenberg against Gasly is still to be written. Yas Marina will be the race of truth for them too.
