Racing Bulls fined €30,000 after Liam Lawson FIA investigation

Racing Bulls has been hit with a fine of €30,000, €20,000 of that suspended, following an FIA investigation after Liam Lawson triggered a red flag at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Stopping in FP1, Lawson’s VCARB 03 required marshal attention. The FIA found that the car’s CDS [clutch disengagement system] did not comply with the regulations, and launched an investigation. The verdict will cost Lawson’s Racing Bulls team €10,000, the FIA calling it a “serious” matter as a red flag could have been avoided.

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Going off at the first chicane during FP1, Lawson reported a loss of power steering. He parked the car coming out of the second chicane. Initially covered under a Virtual Safety Car, this was upgraded to a red flag, neutralising the session.

Lawson was referred to the stewards after the marshals found his car’s CDS [clutch disengagement system] button to not be working as required under the regulations.

Following an FIA investigation, Lawson’s Racing Bulls team were fined €30,000, €20,000 of which is suspended as long as no repeat offence occurs within the next 12 months.

That means the Racing Bulls bank account will be €10,000 lighter.

In a further blow, Lawson’s car could not be repaired in time for the New Zealander to take part in Sprint Qualifying. Williams’ Alex Albon also missed the session after substantial damage was inflicted to his Williams in an FP1 crash.

While taking a dim view of the Lawson incident due to the red flag which followed, the FIA also announced its commitment to improving marshal training going forward.

Explaining the Lawson and Racing Bulls verdict, an FIA document reads: “The stewards heard from the driver of Car 30 (Liam Lawson), team representatives, the FIA Technical Delegate and FIA Electronics Engineer and reviewed telemetry and in-car video evidence.

“The team’s engineer explained how the CDS system worked. It was noted that the system on this car performs two roles – the one for which is it primarily intended, namely to release the clutch when the car is stopped and the engine is not working, and the other relates to the anti-stall system.

“In this case, a ruptured joint caused a hydraulic leak, which caused the car to stop. The CDS, when activated by the marshal, then failed to release the clutch and hence the car could not be moved.

“This is a serious matter.

“It resulted in the session being red-flagged. Had the system worked as intended by the regulations, the incident could have been dealt with swiftly via deployment of the Virtual Safety Car.

“The stewards note the concern of the FIA Technical Delegate, over the dual purpose of the CDS on this car. The Technical Delegate advised that the team had, in 2025, been warned about the CDS system design for its cars.

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“The driver noted that there were two issues of concern that he wished to draw to the attention of the stewards, namely that contrary to his instructions and common practice, the marshals attempted to push the car when it was stationary, and that the marshal who attempted to activate the CDS was trying to press a button on the on board camera rather than the CDS button.

“This indicates to the stewards that further training in this area is required, notwithstanding the fact that the FIA distributes a very clear document addressing this action. (ref “FIA Single Seater Recovery Specifications”). We note that it is obvious that the distribution of such a document, although well detailed, probably needs supplementing with some form of practical training by the organisers.”

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