Nico Hulkenberg retired from the Australian Grand Prix before it even started.
Nico Hulkenberg failed to start the Australian Grand Prix, making him the second F1 driver to do so. Franco Colapinto is under investigation by the stewards. Hulkenberg’s Audi had a technical issue on the Melbourne grid, preventing him from starting the 58-lap race. Oscar Piastri, the home hero, also failed to start after crashing on the recon lap. Another incident involved Alpine’s Colapinto being investigated for a starting procedure infringement. The race started chaotically, with Charles Leclerc leading for Ferrari, while George Russell dropped to second from pole position. Lewis Hamilton was third on Lap 5, and Max Verstappen had moved up to 12th place for Red Bull.
