FIA confirms Audi punishment after Bahrain Grand Prix investigation

The Audi F1 team has been hit with a partially suspended fine of €30,000 following an unsafe pit stop incident involving Nico Hulkenberg at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Hulkenberg received the green-light signal to leave the pit box after all four tyres had been changed on his R26 at Sepang.

Audi fined by FIA over Nico Hulkenberg pit stop drama

However, a mechanic was still in front of his left-front wheel, having made an adjustment to his front wing.

An Audi team member spotted the situation unfolding and intervened by turning the green light back to red, with Hulkenberg stopping before he had left his pit box.

The incident was initially investigated as a potential unsafe release.

However, as Hulkenberg never fully left ‘the pit stop position’, it could not be regarded as an unsafe release under the regulations.

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Audi confirmed to PlanetF1.com after the race that there was no contact between the car and the mechanic, with the incident caused by the front wing adjustment device becoming stuck to the front wing.

The Swiss team added that the green light was switched back to red after just 0.2 seconds.

The stewards noted that Audi’s backup safety procedure worked as expected, but imposed a €30,000 fine on Audi – €20,000 of which has been suspended for the rest of the season on the basis that there are no further incidents of a similar nature – for creating an unsafe situation.

The stewards’ verdict read: “The Stewards heard from the team representative and reviewed video and in-car video evidence.

“During the pit stop of Car 27 (HUL), the automated release system initially displayed a green light after all four wheel guns had been removed from the wheel nuts and the respective mechanics had activated the release system.

“However, a mechanic was still in front of the car near the left-front wheel after having adjusted the front wing.

“The Team explained that its release procedure incorporates an additional manual safety check by a controller.

“When the responsible team member observed that the mechanic was still in front of the left-front wheel, the release signal was immediately changed back to red.

“HUL initially began to move away from the pit stop position in response to the green light.

“However, he immediately recognised that the light went back to red as the mechanic was still in front of the car and reacted promptly by stopping the car before it had fully left the pit stop position.

“The Stewards considered whether the initial green signal itself constituted an unsafe release.

“Article B1.6.2 defines when a car is deemed to have been released from its Designated Pit Stop Position.

“The relevant point is when the rear axle has passed the position previously occupied by the front axle while the car was stationary in its Designated Pit Stop Position.

“Accordingly, although the initial green signal was given prematurely and created an unsafe situation, the car was not “released” within the meaning of Article B1.6.2 while that situation existed.

“The Stewards therefore determine that no unsafe release occurred.

“In this case, although the initial green signal was given prematurely, the Team’s backup safety procedure operated as intended and the signal was returned to red before the car had been released from its pit stop position.

“Nevertheless, the automatic premature green signal created an unsafe situation.

“While the Stewards determine that the circumstances did not constitute an unsafe release, the premature green signal nevertheless created an unsafe situation involving a team mechanic.

“The Stewards therefore impose a fine of €30,000 on the Competitor, of which €20,000 is suspended for the remainder of the 2026 season, subject to there being no further similar infringement.

“The substantial suspended element is intended to encourage the Competitor to review and, where necessary, improve its release procedures so as to prevent a recurrence of such an unsafe situation.”

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