Liam Lawson Disqualified from F1 Mexico City GP Qualifying
Liam Lawson is set to begin the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix from the rear of the grid after a technical infraction during qualifying.
The weekend has proven forgettable for the Kiwi driver, who has been a steady midfield contender this season. In Friday’s second practice session, Lawson collided with his former teammate Max Verstappen on track, resulting in a one-place grid penalty for both drivers for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Lawson’s troubles continued further. After an impressive qualifying run that secured him seventh place, a review by the stewards led to his disqualification from the session and a drop to the back of the grid for the Kiwi.
Liam Lawson will now start from the back of the grid in Mexico
MGUK breach causes Liam Lawson to contravene regulations
The stewards determined that the Racing Bulls driver did not lift off the throttle immediately after his flying lap in Q2.
“Evidence submitted, which was accepted by all parties present, showed that after the control line at the end of his fastest lap in Q2. The driver did not lift off the power immediately,” The stewards’ document read.
“This resulted in the rate of reduction of MGUK deployment required to achieve the regulated “step down” not being achieved.”
Crucially, Racing Bulls contended that the incident did not provide Lawson with a competitive advantage. Nevertheless, the violation of technical directives resulted in a penalty.
“The Stewards note in particular that the team self-disclosed the breach. However, there are a multitude of precedents that require us, despite all mitigating circumstances, to impose a penalty of disqualification where a car does not comply with the Technical Regulations.”
Amid a challenging weekend, Lawson aims to battle through the field to secure a long-awaited contract extension with his team.
