FIA reach verdict after Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg summoned to stewards

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg were both summoned to the stewards for different incidents during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.

Hamilton was under investigation for an alleged unsafe release, after pit equipment at Mercedes was knocked while the seven-time World Champion was leaving his garage, while Hulkenberg was under investigation for alleged failure to follow the race director’s instructions in the pit lane – with a verdict having been reached on both cases.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg both summoned to Austrian GP stewards

Mercedes have been fined €5,000 after Hamilton’s departure from the garage saw him drag a jack and exhaust extractor behind him, though with the team informing him immediately, he did not do any damage.

As for Haas, they were handed a team reprimand with their driver being sent into the fast lane without a “suitable gap to blend in”, meaning he was effectively forcing his way into the gaggle of cars looking to leave the pit lane

Hulkenberg appeared to make his way into the fast lane of the pit lane on two separate occasions in contravention of the pre-agreed instructions, with Alex Albon and then Sergio Perez being forced to wait for the Haas driver to make his way out of the garage – with the reprimand coming for the Albon incident specifically.

As for Hamilton, while an accident, he left the garage with equipment being knocked – though nobody appeared to be hurt in the process as he left for the track at the Red Bull Ring.

Hulkenberg was required to report to the stewards for two separate alleged infringements, on Albon and Perez respectively, having already received a 10-second penalty and two penalty points for forcing Fernando Alonso off track in the earlier Sprint session on Saturday.

More from the Austrian Grand Prix weekend so far

 2024 Austrian Grand Prix – Qualifying results (Red Bull Ring, Spielberg)

 Max Verstappen: Christian Horner/Jos Verstappen ‘scenario could have been avoided’

Hamilton qualified his Mercedes fifth for the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, with Hulkenberg having made it through to Q3 for Haas and putting his car ninth on the grid for Sunday’s race.

Max Verstappen took a dominant pole position for Red Bull, going four tenths clear of anyone else to take P1 ahead of Lando Norris, with Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate George Russell set to line up third.

Read next: Austrian GP: Max Verstappen storms to pole position after closest Q1 in F1 history