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Nico Hulkenberg has urged the FIA to consider outlawing the backing-up tactics used by teams during the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, describing the approach as "not really sporting-wise" after a race in which he felt caught in the consequences of another driver’s strategy.
The German was handed a 10-second penalty following contact with Carlos Sainz after the restart in the principality. Hulkenberg said the chain of events began with George Russell appearing to bunch the field while trying to create a gap before serving his own time penalty, which had not been taken before the red flag caused by Charles Leclerc’s crash.
Speaking ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Hulkenberg said he found the decision to penalise him immediately "a bit weird", particularly as he believed the situation was shaped by the congestion ahead and by Sainz’s positioning.
"For me, it all starts obviously with George backing up the whole field, trying to create a gap for his penalty, which obviously creates a mess and chaos," Hulkenberg said. "And especially in Monaco, cars are tripping over each other."
Hulkenberg explained that he had Fernando Alonso on his inside coming out of Mirabeau, while Esteban Ocon was battling another car nearby. In that traffic, he said he was forced to react suddenly and ended up on the inside before making contact with Sainz.
"I feel that Carlos is also on the outside. He knows we’re all bunched up. He cuts back quite a lot," Hulkenberg added. "I think he could have also saved himself by staying a bit wider."
The incident adds to a Monaco weekend already defined by tight margins and penalties, with the FIA’s handling of race control decisions again under focus. For more on another Monaco penalty dispute, see our report on the FIA confirming Alpine’s Right of Review date over Pierre Gasly’s Monaco penalties.
Hulkenberg had been on course for ninth before the penalty dropped him to 13th. While he accepted that teams were operating within the rules as they stood, he argued Monaco should prompt a rethink.
"For Monaco going forward, the FIA should come up with some sort of a rule that this backing-up strategy is not allowed anymore, because it’s just painful," he said. "Now, as it was Sunday, obviously, there was nothing wrong with that and any team would have done exactly the same. But I feel going forward it should be, if possible, avoided."
Hulkenberg now heads to Barcelona hoping to match his points-scoring result there from 2025, as Audi continues to show impressive form in its debut Formula 1 season.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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