An unfortunate Audi equipment failure cost Nico Hulkenberg a €200,000 bonus, based on reports surrounding the terms of his contract with the German manufacturer.
According to OE24, the German earns €5 million per season at Audi, the equivalent of £4.3 million. However, he also has a bonus clause in his contract for each point scored.
Hulkenberg is reported to earn an extra €50,000 (roughly £43,000) per point he scores in 2026, with an equipment failure at the Shanghai International Circuit having cost him a possible €200,000 (£174,000) bonus.
During the Chinese Grand Prix, the 38-year-old was running comfortably in eighth when he pitted at the end of lap 35, before encountering a 16-second pit stop.
The long stop was caused by a right-rear wheel gun failure, dropping him outside the points. Ultimately, Hulkenberg had to settle for 11th, when finishing in eighth had been a real possibility.
It was a hugely unfortunate outcome for Hulkenberg in what was the first grand prix he had been able to start in 2026.
Hulkenberg failed to start the season opener in Australia following a technical issue before the race got underway, forcing him to watch the action from the Hinwil-based team’s garage.
To add to the veteran’s misery, he also finished 11th in the recent Japanese Grand Prix, meaning he is yet to score a point since the introduction of the new power unit regulations.
Thankfully for Audi, Gabriel Bortoleto has scored two points to get the team off the mark in F1.
Originally published by RacingNews365 —
Read Original Article