Nico Hulkenberg given a 5s time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during the Sprint.

On the opening lap, at Turn 9, the Audi driver was defending position against Esteban Ocon. In doing so, Hulkenberg approached the corner with slightly higher speed than on comparable laps and left the track at the exit of Turn 9. The position was not conceded by the German after leaving the track, although Ocon passed the Audi one lap later in a genuine overtaking manoeuvre.

Hulkenberg explained that Ocon attempted an overtake on the inside while turning in and that he sought to avoid a collision and leave room for the Haas.

The stewards accepted that avoiding contact was a relevant factor and took that into account as mitigation. However, having reviewed the evidence, they determined that Hulkenberg carried excessive speed into the corner and that this was the primary reason why the car left the track.

The stewards therefore determined that Hulkenberg left the track and gained a lasting advantage by maintaining its position. However, in light of the mitigating circumstance that he was also seeking to avoid a collision with the Frenchman, the stewards imposed a 5 second time penalty, thereby dropping him from 13th to 15th.

Elsewhere, Liam Lawson was given a warning after being adjudged as having changed direction deceleration phase had commenced as he battled Isack Hadjar.

The matter concerned the defensive move by Lawson on the approach to Turn 15 on Lap 16 while defending position against the Red Bull. The New Zealander stated that, at the relevant time, he was still at full throttle and had not yet commenced braking, and that the movement of the car was part of deceleration and preparation for the corner rather than a movement under braking.

Hadjar stated that the move was sharp, but also that sufficient room was left and that contact was avoided. In his view, the incident did not merit a penalty. He also referred to the fact that the two cars were on different energy levels, which made the closing speed difficult to judge.

The stewards accepted that this was not a case of a significant change of direction after the braking phase had clearly commenced, and also accepted that Lawson left sufficient room for Hadjar to ensure that no contact occurred.

The stewards also accepted that the different energy states of the two cars made the closing speed into the corner more difficult for the RB driver to assess.

However, the stewards considered that the defensive move by Lawson was sufficiently late and abrupt that it warranted a formal caution. Although the stewards were not satisfied that the circumstances justified a stronger penalty, they considered that the move was marginally over the limit of what is acceptable when defending into a corner. Accordingly, they imposed a warning on Lawson.