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Hamilton, and now Hulkenberg, have both failed to meet the same technical requirements, resulting in a disqualification of the race.

F1 fans may remember that Lewis Hamilton lost his points-paying finish at the Chinese Grand Prix owing to the plank assembly area measuring less than 9mm—the required thickness under Article 3.5.9e of the Technical Regulations.

Nico Hulkenberg was disqualified for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Nico Hulkenberg was disqualified for the same violation at the Bahrain Grand Prix.  Due to excessive wear of his Kick Sauber’s skid blocks, it appears that he also ended up with an area where the plank assembly was less than 9mm thick.

According to a report by FIA F1 Technical delegate Jo Bauer it was confirmed Hulkenberg’s rearmost skid did not meet the minimum thickness requirement of the Technical Regulations. Specific measurements recorded were 8.4mm for the LH (left) side, 8.5mm for the centreline of car and 8.4mm for RH (right).

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It led to an investigation by the stewards, and ultimately his disqualification. Hulkenberg did not finish in the points, as he was 13th. However, this was still a disappointment given that he worked so hard to gain three positions during the 57 laps of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Gabriel Bortoleto, Hulkenberg’s new teammate, was classified 19th at the Bahrain International Circuit. However, he has now moved up to the 18th position following the stewards’ decision. Oscar Piastri, driving the McLaren, put in a strong performance in all areas. He won his first 50-kilometer race.^{The th} start.

Over to you -Do you think the penalty fits the ‘crime’ in this instance?

Donna Williams has written more articles.