Three-place penalty for Nico Hülkenberg
Nico Hülkenberg, who had already missed out on Q3 due to a lost wheel on the track, also inherited a three-place grid penalty. He will therefore only be 13th, while Sergio Perez will start 7th.
It’s a double blow for Nico Hülkenberg: stopped in his tracks in Q2, he couldn’t take part in Q3 because his car was parked off the circuit. The stewards also decided to impose a three-place penalty on him for endangering the safety of the rest of the field with a poorly attached wheel.
However, the German driver believes the problem occurred after he entered the track and not before: « To be honest, I don’t know what happened. We all saw the wheel come off but I don’t know why or how. It was securely attached when I left the garage because everything seemed normal. I didn’t feel it was loose. There was no indication in the steering. When it came off, it happened suddenly but I was at low speed and I was able to park quickly and safely. »
Nonetheless, this argument was not enough for the race stewards, who therefore demoted him by three places. This benefits Felipe Massa and the two McLaren drivers, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.
Having not experienced such a misadventure, Sergio Perez was able to achieve the 7th fastest time of the session: « Even this morning, in the rain, we looked competitive. Finishing the day in 7th position is therefore a result that shows the potential of our car. We improved the car’s balance overnight and we saw the result today. The track was slippery in some places and it was easy to make a mistake, but we stayed focused and got a result we deserve. »
The fight is expected to be tight for points at the end of the race.
