The Formula 1 weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez took a drastic turn for Liam Lawson after the stewards disqualified him from the qualifying classification of the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix. The New Zealander had initially delivered an encouraging performance by reaching Q3 for the tenth time this season and securing eighth place ahead of his Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad.
Post-session investigations revealed a technical breach concerning the deployment of the car's MGU-K at the end of his fastest lap in Q2. Stewards established that the driver failed to lift off the throttle immediately after crossing the timing line, which prevented the mandatory reduction in electrical power required under Articles C5.12.6 and C5.12.7 of the official Formula 1 technical regulations.
Racing Bulls self-disclosed the issue to officials and presented a defense arguing that the infraction yielded zero performance advantage on the asphalt. However, the panel of stewards rejected the argument, emphasizing that non-compliance with technical rules cannot be excused simply because a lap time gain was absent, as cars must strictly abide by the regulations at all times.
This penalty compounds an already difficult weekend for the young driver, who was already carrying a one-place grid drop following a controversial collision with Max Verstappen during Friday's second practice session. Although the pair cleared the air on Saturday morning, the latest sanction strips away his strong grid slot and forces him to start the main race from the back of the field.
The setback deals a heavy blow to Racing Bulls as the Faenza-based squad fights to secure fifth position in the constructors' championship against Alpine. The team will now need formal permission from the stewards for Lawson to race, while also weighing potential parc ferme adjustments that could trigger a pit lane start.
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