Breaking: Sauber Baffled by Nico Hulkenberg’s Bahrain GP Disqualification for Skid Block Wear…read more
Sauber Baffled by Nico Hulkenberg’s Bahrain GP Disqualification for Skid Block Wear
Sauber Formula 1 director Beat Zehnder has expressed confusion and disappointment over Nico Hulkenberg’s disqualification from the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, following a breach of technical regulations regarding skid block wear.
Hulkenberg, who originally crossed the line in 13th place, was disqualified after post-race checks by the FIA revealed that his car’s skid block had worn down below the minimum allowed thickness of 9mm. While the result did not impact Sauber’s points tally—as Hulkenberg did not finish in the top ten—the team was still left reeling from the incident.
Zehnder, a longstanding member of the Sauber team since its foundation in 1993, has been present at every single Grand Prix the team has contested. Despite his vast experience, he admitted to Motorsport.com that the team was left scratching their heads over how the car ended up violating the regulation.
“Apparently the skids were measured lower than 9mm,” Zehnder said. “You go through all the standard procedures—you do Free Practice 1, 2, and 3, you measure, you have references. Why we were below 9mm, we really don’t know.”
He speculated that a disrupted practice session for Hulkenberg might have played a role. The German driver completed only a few laps during FP3, which may have impacted the team’s ability to accurately assess the car’s wear rates before the race. However, Zehnder admitted that the lack of a clear explanation doesn’t absolve the team of responsibility.
“Maybe it had an impact that Nico only did a couple of laps in FP3, so one reference was missing,” he noted. “But it shouldn’t happen, and it shall not happen anymore.”
The issue of skid block wear is closely monitored by the FIA to ensure that teams are not gaining an unfair aerodynamic advantage by running cars too low to the ground. Excessive wear typically suggests that a car was running too low or was impacted significantly by curbing or bouncing during the race.
Zehnder acknowledged that these factors might have contributed to the unexpected wear, but emphasized that Sauber must take full accountability for the oversight. “You have to consider whether you’re at a circuit where the car bounces a lot or if you’re running over the curbs aggressively. That plays into how much the skid wears. It’s a mistake on our side.”
He also reiterated that there was no intent to break the rules, stating, “Obviously, there was never an intention to break the regulations. Can you imagine if we’d finished in the points and then lost them because of this? That would have been even worse.”
While the disqualification did not cost Sauber any championship points, it serves as a critical reminder of how even small technical oversights can lead to major consequences in Formula 1. The team now faces pressure to ensure that such a mistake doesn’t occur again as the season progresses.
With a long season ahead, Sauber will look to regroup quickly and prevent similar setbacks, especially as they seek to climb back into points-scoring positions.
