WATCH: Nico Hulkenberg's bizarre overtake on Alonso costs him five place grid drop in Austria

In a surprising turn of events at the Formula 1 sprint race in Austria Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg found himself at the center of controversy. It came following a bizarre overtake manoeuvre that has incurred penalties from the FIA. The incident occurred during the 19th lap at the Red Bull Ring, where Hulkenberg was engaged in a battle for the 14th position with Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin.

Attempting to overtake Alonso at turn 3, Hulkenberg misjudged his braking point, resulting in a lock-up of his tyres and a subsequent overshoot of the corner's apex. This error forced Hulkenberg off track, inadvertently blocking Alonso’s racing line and compelling the Spaniard to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

Here is the video: 

Alonso wasn't impressed with Hulkenberg here, and neither were the stewards 👀



This incident cost Hulk a 10-second penalty 😖#F1 #AustrianGP | Tap for Sprint highlights 👇

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 29, 2024

Regrettably for Alonso, this manoeuvre not only allowed Hulkenberg to gain the position but also enabled another competitor, Logan Sargeant, who was closely trailing, to pass Alonso as well. After this incident, Alonso was fuming over the Haas driver on the team radio.

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FIA double penalizes Nico Hulkenberg

Following a comprehensive review of video footage and car telemetry, race stewards swiftly adjudicated the incident. Hulkenberg was issued a 10-second time penalty, significantly dropping him from his 14th-place finish to 19th in the final standings.

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In addition to the time penalty, Hulkenberg also accrued 2 penalty points on his racing license, marking his first disciplinary points in the past 12 months. In response to the penalties, Fernando Alonso expressed his discontent in post-race remarks, hinting at his attempt to defend his position and implying that Hulkenberg's aggressive move had unfairly pushed him off track.

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Despite the setback, Alonso diplomatically mentioned his preference to avoid further controversy, highlighting his desire not to escalate the situation. The FIA's decision was grounded on their assessment that Hulkenberg’s understeer at the edge of the track impeded Alonso’s racing line, thus constituting a breach of racing regulations.