Penalty set to end Hulkenberg’s P7 starting streak

Nico Hulkenberg has started the last six Grands Prix from seventh on the grid. But that streak will almost certainly end in Baku this weekend thanks to an impending gearbox penalty.

Hulkenberg headed into the pits late on in FP3 with a technical issue, and it has since been confirmed that Renault have changed the gearbox on his car.

As the previous box had not completed the required six events, the German will drop five grid places from wherever he qualifies for Sunday’s race in Azerbaijan.

That means Hulkenberg would have to qualify second later on today to maintain his run of P7 grid spots – an outcome that looks highly unlikely despite his recent strong form on Saturday afternoons…