Liam Lawson has been disqualified from qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix following a technical infringement related to his Racing Bulls car’s MGU-K system. This decision places him at the back of the grid for today’s race.
The disqualification follows an earlier one-place grid penalty issued to Lawson and Max Verstappen for contact during Free Practice 2 on Friday, October 30, 2026.
The incident occurred early in FP2 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Verstappen, on a preparation lap, attempted to pass Lawson, who was on a cooldown lap, into Turn 12.
The two cars made contact through Turns 13 and 14 in the stadium section. This resulted in damage to Verstappen’s left-side bargeboard and Lawson’s front wing, prompting a red flag.
Stewards deemed the actions of both drivers ‘unacceptable,’ citing a warning issued at the team managers’ meeting earlier that day. Both drivers described the incident as ‘clumsy’ and unnecessary.
Lawson later approached Verstappen to offer an apology for the contact. He stated it was ‘never my intention to make contact’ and acknowledged the situation was ‘not ideal.’
Verstappen, a four-time World Champion, publicly criticized Lawson’s driving. He remarked that it was ‘not very smart behaviour,’ particularly for a driver ‘fighting for your seat.’
Racing Bulls Team Principal Alan Permane also labeled the incident between his driver and the Red Bull competitor as ‘unnecessary.’
Lawson had initially qualified eighth fastest for the Grand Prix. His one-place grid penalty would have dropped him to ninth on the starting grid.
However, FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer reported a breach of Articles C5.12.6 and C5.12.7 of the 2026 Formula 1 Technical Regulations.
The infringement involved the MGU-K power deployment. After his fastest Q2 lap, Lawson’s car did not reduce MGU-K deployment at the permitted rate.
The stewards determined this technical non-compliance warranted disqualification from qualifying. Lawson will now start the Mexico City Grand Prix from the final grid position.
Lewis Hamilton secured pole position for Ferrari with a lap time of 1:16.514. George Russell will start second for Mercedes, followed by Charles Leclerc in third for Ferrari.
Kimi Antonelli starts fourth for Mercedes, with Max Verstappen lining up fifth after his one-place grid penalty.
Verstappen is mathematically out of contention for the 2026 Drivers’ Championship. He is currently focused on securing third place for Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship.
Antonelli leads the Drivers’ Championship and has the opportunity to clinch his first world title in Mexico City today.
Lawson is contracted to Racing Bulls for the 2026 season alongside teammate Arvid Lindblad.
Permane confirmed in October 2026 that Racing Bulls has not yet finalized its driver lineup for the 2027 season.
The team is evaluating Lawson, Lindblad, and Formula 2 driver Nikola Tsolov for the two available seats.
Valtteri Bottas also faces a significant grid penalty, starting from the back for Cadillac due to extensive power unit component changes.
