Nico Hülkenberg’s disqualification caps a grim weekend for Sauber, as technical woes and poor pace continue to plague their 2025 season.
It was a rough weekend for Nico Hülkenberg and the Sauber F1 team, capped off by a disqualification after the FIA found his car to be non-compliant with technical regulations. The issue? A floor plank that was simply too thin.
“The plank on car 28 measured 8.4mm on the left, 8.5mm in the center, and 8.4mm on the right — all below the minimum 9mm required by Article 3.5.9(e) of the Technical Regulations,” stated the FIA. As a result, the decision was clear: disqualification.
Despite the ruling, Hülkenberg described a chaotic race from the very beginning:
“The start wasn’t great, but I managed to recover a bit going into Turn 1. Then in Turn 2 I was pushed wide onto the curb, and suddenly I lost all power heading to Turn 4. I was dead last by the time I got there.”
Starting on soft tyres, the team opted for an aggressive early pit strategy — a gamble that didn’t pay off.
“It was a tough start and that didn’t help our strategy. We had to try something bold, but it was difficult. This track exposed a few weaknesses we need to work on. There’s a lot to do,” Hülkenberg admitted.
Looking for any silver lining, the German pointed to Saturday’s pace:
“Over one lap, we were actually okay. If everything had come together, we could’ve been more competitive. But the race pace is still a big concern.”
Meanwhile, teammate Gabriel Bortoleto finished 19th and voiced his own frustrations with the C45’s performance:
“I just couldn’t follow cars ahead. Even when the pace was decent, I’d lose all grip when I got close. There’s something wrong, and it’s been there since the start of the season. We need to dig deep and figure it out.”
Sauber sporting director Jonathan Wheatley summed up the team’s struggles from the pit wall:
“It was a long afternoon. We experimented with different compounds and strategies, but nothing gave Gabriel the edge to fight in traffic. Nico had a strong and consistent race — even after contact — and finished 13th, benefiting from a few penalties ahead. But now his result is in jeopardy.”
Wheatley concluded on a realistic note:
“We were close to scoring points, but we’re also very aware of what held us back. Now it’s time to regroup, refocus, and dig into the data to see where we missed opportunities.”
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Hülkenberg Axed, Sauber Sink Further in Another Tough Blow Hülkenberg Axed, Sauber Sink Further in Another Tough Blow
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