The last 10 drivers to receive a black flag after Nico Hulkenberg’s 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix disqualification

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Nico Hulkenberg became the first Formula 1 driver in 17 years to be handed a black flag during the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The former Haas driver fell victim to Article 53.2 of the F1 Sporting Regulations, which states that a driver will be disqualified from a race or sprint session if their car receives physical assistance outside of the pit lane and can rejoin the race.

Hulkenberg started the race from 18th on the grid but was forced to retire from the race due to the infringement, making him the first driver since 2007 to receive a black flag.

The black flag is issued by the stewards and means instant disqualification from the session for a serious breach of the regulations.

It’s a rare sight to see a driver getting the black flag in a Grand Prix, with just over ten instances in the history of the championship. Below is a look at the other occasions drivers have fallen foul of the regulations.

Read More: Every Formula 1 driver who has received a ban as Oliver Bearman approaches penalty point limit

The last 10 times a driver has been black-flagged in an F1 Grand Prix

There have been fifteen other cases where a driver was shown the black flag, with Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella the last, before Hulkenberg, to be disqualified in that manner. The pair were both shown a black flag during the 2007 Canadian GP after they left the pit lane while the red light was on.

This was not the first time Trulli had been disqualified during a race, with the Italian falling victim to an identical red light infringement at the 2001 Austrian GP.

Juan Pablo Montoya is another driver who was shown the black flag twice during his F1 career, with the first coming at the 2004 US GP when he abandoned his stricken Williams on the grid and ran to a spare car. After running 57 laps of the race, the stewards issued the black flag because he switched to the spare car too late into the race under the regulations.

The next occasion was at the 2005 Canadian GP when he also left the pit lane while the red light was still showing, after a late call from his McLaren team. Alan Prost was also disqualified at the 1986 Italian GP for changing cars too late after the parade lap, as was Ayrton Senna at the 1988 Brazilian GP.

Elio de Angelis was black-flagged twice in his career, the first coming after he ignored yellow flags during the 1981 British GP. The second came during the 1985 Australian GP when he failed to retain his grid position during the race and overtook cars illegally on the formation lap.

Michael Schumacher also fell foul of the regulations famously at the 1994 British GP, when he ignored a stop/go penalty for illegally overtaking cars on the formation lap. This led to him being handed a black flag by the stewards 22 laps into the race, however, the German stayed out and finished the race anyway in second place while his team argued his case. A few weeks later they were handed a €5,000 (£4,200) fine and Schumacher was given a two-race ban.

Nigel Mansell picked up a black flag in 1989 when he reversed in the pit lane after overshooting his pit box. This was during the days when there was no pit lane speed limit, and drivers could arrive at any speed in the busy pit lane.

The awkward moment Nico Hulkenberg was told he was disqualified in Brazil

Hulkenberg was disqualified during the red flag period midway through the 2024 Sao Paulo GP but was not initially told by the team, according to Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz.

“No one’s told him. Nico Hulkenberg is five metres away from me, sitting on a chair, talking to Ayao Kumatsu and Gary Gannon, his engineer,” said Kravitz.

“Only now has Gannon put his headphones back on and is getting the news that his driver has been disqualified. Gary Gannon’s face is a picture, he can’t understand it. Ayao Kumatsu doesn’t have his headphones on and Nico Hulkenberg doesn’t have his headphones on.

“He doesn’t know he’s just been disqualified. This is so awkward. Hulkenberg looks quite happy with himself.”

Hulkenberg would eventually not take the restart and was classified in P18 while his teammate for the weekend, Oliver Bearman, went on to finish in P12.