Audi has been fined €7,500 by the FIA after an unusual safety blunder during Friday practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix. The team sent Freddie Slater back onto the track with a cooling fan still attached to the right-hand sidepod of Nico Hülkenberg’s Audi, resulting in an avoidable penalty for the German manufacturer’s Formula 1 operation.
The incident occurred during the opening practice session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, when 18-year-old British driver Freddie Slater took over Gabriel Bortoleto’s car as part of Audi’s rookie driver programme.
However, what should have been a routine opportunity for the youngster turned into an embarrassing moment for the team.
Audi mechanics overlook cooling equipment
Slater had been on track for just under half an hour when Audi sent him back out of the garage with a cooling fan still attached to the car.
The equipment remained connected to the right-hand sidepod, creating a potential safety hazard. Although the fan did not fall off, the stewards determined that the possibility of it becoming detached was sufficient to warrant action.
Audi subsequently received a €7,500 fine from the FIA.
In their explanation, the stewards stated that the team representatives had acknowledged they had not noticed the cooling fan was still attached when the car was released.
The decision also took into account a similar incident involving Mercedes earlier in the season.
Ralf Schumacher calls the incident embarrassing
Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher was unimpressed by the mistake when discussing the incident on Sky Germany.
“That’s a bit embarrassing of course, but it happens sometimes,” Schumacher commented.
While the incident did not result in the cooling equipment coming loose, it highlighted the importance of checking every detail before a car is released from the pit lane.
Formula 1 teams operate under strict safety procedures, and equipment left attached to a car can create serious risks for drivers and other competitors.
Mercedes suffered a similar mistake in Australia
Audi was not the first team to make this type of mistake during the 2026 season.
Mercedes experienced a comparable incident at the Australian Grand Prix, when mechanics left two cooling fans attached to Kimi Antonelli’s car.
The Italian subsequently drove onto the circuit with both pieces of equipment still attached. They eventually came loose, with one of the fans striking Lando Norris’s McLaren.
Mercedes was also fined €7,500 following that incident.
The similarities between the two cases demonstrate why the FIA takes such breaches seriously, even when the equipment remains attached to the car.
Slater’s session ends prematurely
For Slater, the incident was particularly unfortunate as the British teenager was making an important appearance in an official Formula 1 practice session.
Shortly after heading back out onto the circuit, he received an instruction from the Audi pit wall to stop the car.
“Switch off the engine, we won’t be continuing,” came the message over team radio.
His session was therefore brought to an abrupt end, with the equipment mistake costing the youngster valuable running time.
Although the FIA penalty was relatively modest, Audi will be keen to ensure that such an avoidable error does not happen again.
With the team continuing its preparations for its first full season as a works manufacturer, attention will inevitably turn to ensuring that operational procedures are as reliable as the technical package being developed on track.
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The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
