Nico Hülkenberg Gets Suspended Stop-and-Go Penalty for 2024 Season
nico hülkenberg was handed a suspended stop-and-go penalty for the rest of the season after an unusual starting procedure infringement at the Canadian Grand Prix. He also received a reprimand, while Liam Lawson was reprimanded for the same incident.
Canadian Grand Prix formation lap
Hülkenberg, driving Car 27, was slow away at the start of the formation lap and fell behind Lawson, who moved sooner than expected. At the first safety car line, both cars were out of position before returning to the correct order by the time they lined up on the grid.
The stewards said Lawson “should have waited longer” and that the case was unusual. They also heard from both drivers, team representatives, and reviewed positioning and marshalling system data, video, timing, and in-car video evidence before making their decision.
Stewards' penalty ruling
Under the regulations, if a driver is out of position on the formation lap by SC1, the car should start from the pit lane. The stewards wrote, “The regulations stipulate a mandatory Stop and Go Penalty for a car that does not enter the Pit Lane if it has failed to resume its correct position by SC1.”
They suspended the penalty under ISC Article 12.4.6 and said, “However in view of the above mitigating circumstances, the Stewards consider this penalty to be extremely harsh and not proportionate to a breach that was relatively minor in effect and impact.”
Lawson and Hülkenberg
The ruling leaves Hülkenberg with one suspended stop-and-go penalty hanging over the rest of the season, to be served only if he repeats the offence. Lawson leaves the same incident with a reprimand but without the suspended punishment that now sits on Car 27.
