Force India was left furious with the FIA after what Technical Director Andrew Green called a “deliberate” illegal pass on Sergio Perez by Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg at the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The German was given a five-second penalty for going off track and gaining an advantage as he re-passed the Mexican by shortcutting the chicane at Turn’s 11-13 on Lap 1, this was immediately after Perez had overtaken his former teammate on the previous straight into Turn 8.
But such was Hulkenberg’s pace after getting ahead again, he would comfortably establish a nearly 10-second margin to the Force India behind which meant when he served his penalty and even had a difficult pit-stop with a problem on the right-rear, the 30-year-old emerged just ahead.
“I think the way he got back the position was very unfair and just a five-second penalty at the stop, when you have more pace than the other car, is quite good [for him],” a hard done by Perez claimed post-race.
“You can cut the track, gain an advantage, and pay it at the pit stop, open the gap during the stint, and then it’s OK, that’s really is a bit ridiculous. We should have the position back.”
Green agreed, believing other drivers may now see what happened at Yas Marina on Sunday as a reason to exploit the rules if the punishment doesn’t outweigh the crime.
“It was a deliberate ploy by him [Hulkenberg]. He knew exactly what he was doing,” he suggested. “He knew to overtake he had to cut the chicane because there was no way he was going to get past down the straights. He knew that if he got ahead he would only get a five-second penalty.
“For me, the regulation is just completely flawed, the incentive now is to cut the corner, get ahead of the guy, and then go off into the distance and then serve your penalty. It’s just wrong.”
Though not answering directly whether it was intentional, Hulkenberg believed the stewards got the decision right based on his interpretation of what happened.
“Under the circumstances the five-second penalty I think was fair and reasonable,” he claimed.
‘It’s always obviously different car, different perspectives but from where I was sitting, I could see he was locking up and he was running wide, I was ready, I had the car stopped enough to turn left and make the corner but he was running wide, I had physically no place to go.
“It’s not that easy to say I could stop that much more and just tuck in behind him, it’s also a bit forcing another driver off the track in my eyes, my opinion.”