Hulkenberg retires at Spanish GP after stone hits switch

Nico Hulkenberg’s Spanish Grand Prix ended in a freak retirement on Sunday after a stone thrown up by a rival’s car triggered his Audi’s emergency kill switch. The bizarre incident occurred while the German driver was battling for points at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Hulkenberg, who had qualified ninth, was running competitively in the midfield and was shadowing Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls car for a points-paying position. On lap 28 or 29, as Lawson put a wheel into the gravel on the exit of Turn 12, debris was kicked into the air. A single stone from that spray struck the left side of Hulkenberg’s roll hoop, pulling the external emergency trigger and instantly shutting down the car’s systems.

The veteran driver described the failure as sudden and total, leaving him to coast back to the pit lane. He said he had never seen or heard of such an incident in his career, calling it very unlucky and strange. The car could not be restarted, forcing an immediate retirement despite what had been a strong weekend for the Audi team.

For Hulkenberg, the retirement extended a frustrating start to the 2026 season, as he is still searching for his first points with the new Audi factory...