Liam Lawson disqualified from Mexico City qualifying over MGU-K power breach

Liam Lawson's difficult weekend in Mexico City got worse on Saturday night. Stewards disqualified the Racing Bulls driver from qualifying after finding that his car broke the rules on electrical power deployment. Lawson had reached Q3 for the tenth time this season and qualified eighth, ahead of team-mate Arvid Lindblad. He will now start Sunday's race from the back of the grid.

What the breach was

The issue concerns the MGU-K, the motor-generator unit that recovers energy under braking and feeds it back to the car as electrical power. Under the 2026 regulations, deployment must be reduced at a set rate once a car crosses the timing line at the end of a lap.

According to the FIA technical delegate's report, Lawson's car broke the minimum MGU-K power requirement just after he crossed the line at the end of his fastest Q2 lap. His maximum power demand and electrical power were reduced faster than the rules allow. Reports say he did not lift off the throttle straight away after the line, so the required step-down in deployment did not happen.

The car was found to be in breach of Articles C5.12.6 and C5.12.7 of the technical regulations.

Self-disclosure was not enough

Racing Bulls reported the problem to the FIA themselves after qualifying. The team argued that it gave Lawson no performance advantage, because it happened after his timed lap was over.

The stewards accepted the self-disclosure and the mitigating circumstances, but rejected the argument. They said a breach of the technical regulations is not excused just because there was no performance gain, and that cars must comply at all times during an event. They pointed to many past cases in which a technical breach led to disqualification.

A weekend to forget

The disqualification follows Lawson's collision with Max Verstappen in second practice on Friday. Both drivers received a one-place grid penalty and a penalty point on their superlicences. Lawson apologised to Verstappen on Saturday morning. Before the disqualification, that penalty meant he would have started ninth.

Disqualified drivers need the stewards' permission to start the race, which is normally given based on practice times. If Racing Bulls make changes to the car that break parc ferme rules, Lawson could also be sent to start from the pit lane.

The result hurts Racing Bulls, who are fighting Alpine for fifth place in the constructors' championship. Pierre Gasly moves up to ninth on the grid. Lawson has not yet been confirmed on the grid for 2027.

Effect on the grid

All drivers who qualified behind Lawson move up one place. Lindblad now starts eighth, Gasly ninth and Audi's Nico Hulkenberg tenth. Lewis Hamilton is on pole ahead of George Russell, Charles Leclerc and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

Key takeaways

• Lawson was disqualified from Mexico City qualifying after setting the eighth-fastest time.
• His car broke MGU-K power step-down rules (Articles C5.12.6 and C5.12.7) just after his best Q2 lap.
• Racing Bulls reported the issue and said there was no performance gain, but the stewards still disqualified him.
• He starts from the back, after already receiving a one-place penalty for his FP2 clash with Verstappen.

FAQ

Why was Liam Lawson disqualified in Mexico? His car did not reduce MGU-K electrical power at the required rate just after he crossed the line on his fastest Q2 lap, which breaks the technical regulations.

Did the breach make Lawson faster? Racing Bulls argued it did not. The stewards said that makes no difference, because cars must comply with the rules at all times.

Where will Lawson start the Mexico City Grand Prix? From the back of the grid, unless car changes force a pit-lane start.

Sources: Formula1.com, Speedcafe, PlanetF1, RacingNews365