Audi fined €30,000 after premature green signal at Hülkenberg pit stop

Audi has been fined €30,000 after a premature green signal during Nico Hülkenberg’s pit stop created an unsafe situation. The stewards ruled that the incident did not amount to an unsafe release.

The decision says the automated light turned green while a mechanic was still in front of the car. Audi’s additional safety check returned the signal to red; Hülkenberg began to move but stopped before the car had fully left its pit-stop position.

Under the regulation cited by the stewards, a car is deemed released when its rear axle passes the position previously occupied by its front axle while stationary. The stewards concluded that this point had not been reached while the unsafe situation existed. They nevertheless fined Audi over the premature signal and the unsafe situation it created.

The fine is €30,000, with €20,000 suspended if Audi commits no similar pit-stop infringement. The decision gives conflicting durations for that suspension: its formal penalty wording says 12 months, while a later passage says it runs for the remainder of the 2026 season.

The ruling followed a summons concerning an alleged unsafe release. The summons requested Audi’s team representative’s attendance; the subsequent decision resolved the allegation without finding an unsafe release.