Nico Hulkenberg has been handed a 10-place grid penalty for next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in the wake of causing the start crash in Belgium.
Hulkenberg locked up under braking into La Source on the opening lap at Spa-Francorchamps and cannoned into the rear of Fernando Alonso.
Alonso’s McLaren was sent flying over Charles Leclerc’s Sauber, and in the process he tagged and wrecked Daniel Ricciardo’s rear wing, with the Red Bull driver subsequently puncturing a tyre on Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari.
Hulkenberg, Alonso and Leclerc all retired on the spot while Raikkonen and Ricciardo both ceded substantial race time before ultimately pulling out.
Hulkenberg informed stewards that he “completely misjudged the situation and freely admitted it was his mistake.”
The incident’s similarity to a first-lap pile-up in 2012 that resulted in a one-race ban for Romain Grosjean was noted, and stewards went on to clarify the situation.
“It should be noted that since 2014 the FIA has introduced the penalty points system which takes into account previous offences by a driver and can lead to a race suspension if 12 points are accumulated within a 12-month period.”
Hulkenberg was given three penalty points for causing the collision, bringing his rolling 12-month total up to four.
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