The FIA has announced that Nico Hulkenberg has been disqualified from the F1 Bahrain GP.
Following the standard procedural FIA post-race checks at the Bahrain GP, the governing body submitted anomalies found on the underbody of the Stake Kick Sauber, C44.
Each car is subjected to numerous after-race checks and sessions to ensure that each team complies with the FIA technical regulations.
A specific area that is monitored closely is that of the floor and underbody.
These areas provide massive amounts of downforce for each Formula 1 car and can provide a sizeable advantage to rivals.
In the case of Nico Hulkenberg, the C44 was deemed to have breached the regulations, resulting in an instant disqualification from the F1 Bahrain GP.
The issue in depth
In Hulkenberg’s case, the FIA have stated that ‘the thickness of the plank assembly was below the permitted minimum thickness’.
This error was caused by the Kick Sauber team and was acknowledged by a team representative that it was a ‘genuine error’.
The plank was measured and was found to be 8.4mm on the left-hand side, 8.5mm in the centreline and 8.6mm on the right-hand side.
This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm in the regulations.
The team did not contest the findings, resulting in the immediate disqualification.
Full Statement from the Stewards.
