Nico Hulkenberg‘s impressive qualifying run in Abu Dhabi turned sour after race officials handed him a three-place grid penalty, dropping him from fourth to seventh place in what was his final qualifying session with Haas.
The German driver had pulled off one of his best performances of the season, landing a spot on the second row of the grid. But his celebration didn’t last long.
Race stewards called him in after he stopped his car in the pit exit tunnel – a move that directly violated race director Rui Marques’s instructions.
Hulkenberg didn’t try to deny it. He explained he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, with traffic building up and time running out to start his fast lap. Being at the far end of the pit lane, Haas already faces extra challenges getting their cars out in time during qualifying.
“I had no other choice if I wanted to set a lap time,” he told officials.
The stewards weren’t buying it. While they acknowledged that some teams have it tougher based on their pit lane position, they made it clear that safety rules aren’t optional.
That section of the pit lane has a strict no-passing rule for safety reasons. Breaking it comes with consequences.
The penalty reshuffles the front of the grid, with Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly, and George Russell each moving up one position.
It’s a tough break for Hulkenberg, who was hoping to give Haas a strong finish in his last qualifying session with the team.
