FIA penalty decision under Audi microscope after Brazilian GP

Audi racing director Allan McNish stated that the incident which triggered a Nico Hulkenberg 10-second penalty in Brazil was a “very debatable situation” to the team.

Hulkenberg was adjudged to have left the track and gained an advantage versus Franco Colapinto during the race. It was not clear to Audi which driver had the corner, while the fact that its driver had pulled away from Colapinto after overtaking also complicated the response.

Audi explains why Nico Hulkenberg did not yield position

Hulkenberg had emerged from his pit-stop behind the Alpine racer.

“When we did the pit-stop, coming out, Colapinto was at the end of his stint on old tyres, hanging on, and ran him wide into Turn 1,” McNish stated after the race.

“Did it again because Nico was on the outside, just pushed him wide, missed the apex. But because Nico went off and then was deemed to have gained the long and lasting advantage, then we had a 10-second penalty.”

The Scott was asked why Audi did not instruct Hulkenberg to give the place back, considering the penalty threat which comes with completing an overtake off-track.

He had scuttled across the T1/2 run-off and rejoined ahead of the Argentine.

“Because for us it wasn’t clear,” McNish argued. “Normally, if you’re ahead at the apex, then you have the right to be given position.

“Where the apex of Turn 1 is, because of how it drops down into the esses, it’s very subjective where the apex is.

“Now, Colopinto never hit the apex. He was nowhere near the apex. He was a long way from the apex. But the FIA defined where the apex line was, and at that point, Colopinto ran wide out.

“So for us, it was a very debatable situation, and we honestly didn’t know which way to go with it. If we had given it back, then we were stuck into the same position.

“And the other factor was that by the time we had been able to review, Nico was gone so far ahead. He pulled two seconds on a lap, or 1.8 seconds.

“So it’s one that always you have to follow the FIA ruling. There’s no question. But it wasn’t clear for us that it wasn’t Nico’s corner.”

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Hulkenberg’s response to the penalty was declared a “statement” by his team’s racing director.

He recovered to bag the final point on offer in 10th.

“But when it turned into the intermediate, he had pushed ahead, pulled ahead from Arvid Lindblad, and then in the intermediate, he was on a mission,” McNish continued.

“Straight onto the back of Lindblad, and the overtake was one that definitely I think was good, aggressive, and it was also a delivery of that’s a statement. ‘Yeah, give us a penalty, but we can still get it back.'”

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