The FIA has officially confirmed a penalty following irregularities during practice for the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, with Liam Lawson and the Racing Bulls at the centre of the controversy.
During the only free practice session of the sprint weekend at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Lawson’s car suddenly stopped on track after suffering a hydraulic and clutch disengagement system failure. The incident triggered an early red flag and disrupted preparations for several teams during the crucial 60-minute session.
Following an investigation, FIA stewards determined that Racing Bulls breached technical regulations related to the car’s clutch disengagement mechanism. The governing body described the matter as “serious” because marshals were unable to quickly move the stranded car, creating safety concerns at a circuit already known for its limited recovery access roads.
The FIA handed Racing Bulls a €30,000 fine, although €20,000 of the penalty was suspended for 12 months on the condition that the team commits no further violations of the same regulation. Lawson himself avoided an additional sporting penalty, but the technical issue forced extensive repairs and a power unit replacement, leaving him at the back of the sprint grid.
Reports indicate that FIA technical officials had previously warned the team regarding the unusual design of its clutch disengagement system, which was reportedly linked to the anti-stall setup on the car. The latest failure during practice therefore raised concerns over reliability and operational safety under the 2026 regulations.
The disrupted session proved costly for Lawson, who lost valuable running time during a packed sprint weekend format where teams have only one practice session before competitive action begins. The New Zealander had already shown encouraging pace early in the session before the breakdown occurred.
The practice session itself was filled with drama, including multiple red flags and incidents involving several drivers. Alex Albon also crashed after hitting a groundhog on track, while Esteban Ocon suffered damage after brushing the wall.
Despite the setbacks, the weekend continued with George Russell securing sprint pole position for Mercedes ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli.