‘Not fair and right’ FIA pit lane regulation under scrutiny after clear ‘disadvantage’

Nico Hulkenberg up close as he is interviewed

Nico Hulkenberg has called on Formula One to change the pit lane regulation that prevents drivers from pushing into the pit lane queue as it penalises Haas.

Hulkenberg was investigated twice after Saturday’s qualifying at the Red Bull Ring for entering the fast lane when there was no suitable gap.

Nico Hulkenberg bemoans pit lane rule ‘disadvantages’ Haas

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Last month, Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich implemented a new regulation governing pit lane etiquette whereby a driver can only stake his claim over a spot in the queue if his front wheel has crossed over the solid yellow line.

This, however, is problematic for those at the end of the pit lane as drivers queueing up after them can – and do – prevent them from sliding into the queue by closing up on the car ahead.

That’s how it played out during Saturday’s qualifying at the Red Bull Ring, prompting Hulkenberg to squeeze in ahead of Alex Albon in Q1 before doing the same to Sergio Perez in Q2.

He was investigated after the session but held onto his P9 starting position with the stewards opting to give Haas a team reprimand.

Their ruling read: “In this particular case there appeared to be a suitable gap at the moment the car was released from the garage, but the gap disappeared because cars were queuing in front of the team garage.

“This is considered as mitigating circumstances and therefore only a reprimand to the team is imposed.”

Hulkenberg believes the rule is unfair to the teams at the bottom of the pit lane and has called on Formula 1 to use a bit of “common sense”.

“You can’t see much,” the 36-year-old told the media including PlanetF1.com. “The problem is we’re at the end of the pit lane, it’s always tricky.

“Even if we got early, then it’s a blind spot. The cars that are there, it’s hard to judge and to understand who is where.

“I feel we are really disadvantaged in that sense because it always like you have to let everyone by and you go right at the back and you get in trouble with timing and with temps and everything. So it’s tricky.

“We need to review that. Because if we pull forward way before someone has joined the back of the queue, we should be allowed to go otherwise we just end up losing all the time.

“And it’s only because we’re at the end of the pit lane. I don’t think that’s fair and right. So we’ll speak to them and make some suggestions and something changes hopefully.

Asked specifically about the Perez incident in Q2 which had the Red Bull driver complaining that Hulkenberg pushed it, the German replied: “I had another car there and he came way later. And then I think he complained but I was waiting like 20 years. So it’s common sense, isn’t it?”

Nico Hulkenberg’s eventful weekend at the Red Bull Ring

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Nico Hulkenberg ‘super surprised, baffled’ by sprint penalty

Although Hulkenberg escaped punishment in his qualifying investigations, he wasn’t as fortunate in the sprint.

Racing for 14th place in Saturday’s short race, he made an audacious attempt to take the position off Alonso only to force the Spaniard off the track.

The Haas driver was hit with a 10-second time penalty, which dropped him to 19th in the official classification, and he was also given two penalty points.

The stewards’ verdict read: “The driver of Car 27 attempted an overtake on Car 14 into Turn 3 but locked up and missed the apex.

“The Car understeered to the very edge of the track, thereby preventing Car 14 from turning in and forcing the other driver off track.”

Hulkenberg, however, has questioned the penalty as he insists he didn’t deliberately force Alonso wide, he locked up on old tyres.

“I was super surprised when I heard that, a bit baffled,” he said of his punishment.

“I went to see the stewards to ask for their reasoning, opinions about it. They feel he’s justified in his opinion, I have a different view and opinion.

“When everything is on the limit, and you have to make a move, you have to take certain risks and go a bit out of the comfort zone.

“I locked up, I didn’t run him wide on purpose, but I was locking at both front axles and that’s what happens at the end of the tyre life when everything is really on the edge.

“I mean, in 2019 there was a very similar scenario with Max and Charles in the last lap for the win and there was no consequence. So leave it with them, hopefully they review it.”