Miami: Nico Hülkenberg suffered a crushing disappointment at the Miami Grand Prix on Saturday as mechanical failure prevented the German driver from competing in the sprint race. Although his Audi initially exited the pit lane, his afternoon concluded before he could reach his designated spot on the starting grid.

The failure was sudden and visual; dense smoke began pouring from the rear of the vehicle, followed quickly by visible flames erupting from the exhaust system. Hülkenberg was forced to abandon his Audi on the circuit, marking another instance where his race ended prematurely.

Indications of a malfunction had surfaced earlier in the day. Mechanics were observed performing last-minute repairs on the car's underbody within the garage, including efforts to clean up a fluid leak.

Audi racing director Allan McNish addressed the technical lapse, stating, “We already had a problem in the pits and thought it was resolved. Now we have to bring the car back and see what's going on.”

The incident marks a significant blow to Audi’s campaign, as it marks the third occasion this season the team has been unable to field both cars for a race start. Television analyst Timo Glock characterised the failure as a "worst-case scenario" for the manufacturer.