Nico Hulkenberg has been disqualified from the Bahrain Grand Prix after his car failed a post-race technical check.
The FIA’s technical delegate Jo Bauer found the Sauber driver’s C45 did not comply with the rules governing plank wear. Measurements taken at three separate points did not reach the minimum required 9mm thickness.All teams’ cars must be fitted with the specification planks to prevent them running too close to the ground, for safety reasons.
“The plank assembly of car 27 [Hulkenberg] was measured and found to be 8.4mm [left-hand-side], 8.5mm
(car centre line) and 8.4mm [right-hand-side],” the stewards explained. “This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 e) of the Technical Regulations.”
Sauber did not challenge the decision and accepted they had made a mistake. “During the hearing the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly,” the stewards noted. “The team also acknowledged that it was a genuine error by the team.
“The stewards determine that Article 3.5.9 e) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations has been breached and therefore the standard penalty of a disqualification needs to be applied for such an infringement.”
Hulkenberg was originally classified 13th. His disqualification promotes Isack Hadjar and five others he finished behind him, but has no effect on the points awarded or championship standings.
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He is the fourth different driver to be disqualified following a grand prix this year. Lewis Hamilton received the same penalty at the Chinese Grand Prix last month when the stewards also found excessive plank wear on his Ferrari. His team mate Charles Leclerc and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly were disqualified from the same race when their cars were found to be underweight.
Updated: 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix race result and championship points
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Jere (@jerejj)
13th April 2025, 20:37
Inevitably
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
13th April 2025, 21:03
I swear, if this great guy ever gets on the podium, then something will snatch it away from him :(
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
13th April 2025, 22:02
at least this time it isn’t something absolutely miniscule. Sometimes it has been the smallest of fractions with things being underweight. But this is over 5% which actually is quite a lot.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
16th April 2025, 7:44
Yes, that could have a significant impact on performance; then again I don’t think there’s one driver in all f1 history who would mind losing a 13th place!
nunof
14th April 2025, 9:14
This is a stupid rule: either verify ALL cars or scratch the rule if the FIA is incapable of checking everyone. There are a lot more cars with planck wear in these races. It wasn’t just Hulkenberg in Bahrain or Hamilton in China.
Jojo
14th April 2025, 23:41
In China.they tested skid wear of car numbers 44, 81, 04, 01, 30, 63 and 12. In Suzuka they checked car numbers 81, 04, 16, 44, 01, 22, 63 and 04 and in Bahrain they checked car numbers 22, 12, 14, 07, 87, 06, 23 and 27, most of which weren’t even in the points. Earlier in the season they didn’t check any car for skid wear in Australia and they didn’t check any after the sprint race in China. So they started checking more cars after Hamilton’s car failed in China but for some reason they still don’t check them all. I agree it all cars should have it checked, or at the very least the top 10 each time.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
16th April 2025, 7:48
Indeed, they need to check all the cars in the points, if they find a couple that get dq, they then need to check the 2 that inherited points and so on if they find more.
Martin (@f1hornet)
16th April 2025, 17:03
We already have the same number of DSQs this season as 2022, 2023, and 2024 combined. Has something changed in what the FIA are doing?