Formula 1: Nico Hulkenberg issued 10-position grid penalty for Italian Grand Prix

Nico Hulkenberg has been issued a 10-position grid penalty for the next race on the 2018 Formula 1 schedule, the Italian Grand Prix.

Renault Sport’s Nico Hulkenberg has been issued a 10-position grid penalty for next Sunday’s Formula 1 race, the Italian Grand Prix, as a result of the fact that he caused a massive incident at the start of today’s race, the Belgian Grand Prix.

Heading into the first turn of the 19-turn, 4.352-mile (7.004-kilometer) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps road course in Stavelot, Belgium on the first lap of the 44-lap Belgian Grand Prix, Hulkenberg, who started the race in 18th place, ran into the back of Fernando Alonso, who started in 14th.

This contact sent Alonso’s car up over the top of the car of Charles Leclerc’s car. In doing so, Alonso’s car hit the rear wing of Daniel Ricciardo’s car, and Ricciardo made contact with Kimi Raikkonen’s car, causing the right rear tire of the Finn’s car to go flat.

Hulkenberg, Alonso and Leclerc were immediately forced to retire from the race. Ricciardo and Raikkonen continued racing, but both drivers eventually retired from the competition as well, as there was very little hope that they would be able to rally to finish in the top 10 and score points.

Here is the stewards’ full verdict about the matter, according to Sky Sports.

"“The driver of car 27 [Hulkenberg] stated that he completely misjudged the situation and freely admitted it was his mistake. It should be noted that since 2014 the FIA has introduced the penalty points system which takes into account previous offences by a driver and can lead to a race suspension if 12 points are accumulated within a 12 month period. This system was not in force when an incident not dissimilar to this, occurred in 2012.”"

Here is a video of this massive wreck.

https://twitter.com/F1/status/1033736082603425793

Not including this accident, which Hulkenberg owned up to causing by saying that he “completely misjudged” his braking, the 31-year-old German has had a pretty successful season.