Lawson Disqualified From Mexico Qualifying Over MGU-K Breach
Liam Lawson will start the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix from 22nd after the FIA disqualified his Racing Bulls car from qualifying for an MGU-K technical breach. The stewards separately granted Lawson permission to race, turning what had been an eighth-place qualifying result into a back-row start.
The decision changes the starting order published after Lewis Hamilton took pole for Ferrari. Lawson had already been due to lose one place for his Friday collision with Max Verstappen, but the technical disqualification removes his qualifying result entirely.
What the FIA found
The stewards’ written decision says Lawson did not lift off the power immediately after crossing the control line at the end of his fastest Q2 lap. As a result, the car did not complete the regulated MGU-K power “step-down” at the required rate.
The FIA technical delegate’s initial report identified a breach of Articles C5.12.6 and C5.12.7 of the 2026 Formula 1 Regulations. Those provisions govern the permitted reduction in driver power demand and electrical power from the energy-recovery system after the timing line.
Racing Bulls argued that the deviation produced no performance advantage. The stewards did not make an independent finding that Lawson gained time; instead, they said a lack of advantage does not excuse non-compliance with technical rules that apply throughout the event.
The decision also records that Racing Bulls disclosed the breach itself. The stewards treated that as a mitigating circumstance, but said established precedent still requires disqualification when a car does not comply with the technical regulations.
Lawson is allowed to race
Disqualification from qualifying did not automatically exclude Lawson from the Grand Prix. In a separate permission-to-start decision, the stewards declared car 30 eligible under Article B2.4.3b and placed it on the grid under Article B2.5.4.
The FIA’s provisional starting grid lists Lawson 22nd, behind Valtteri Bottas. Bottas is 21st after receiving a 50-place penalty for additional power-unit components, while Verstappen’s earlier one-place penalty puts him fifth behind Kimi Antonelli.
How the top 10 changes
| Driver | Qualifying result | Provisional grid |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis Hamilton | 1st | 1st |
| George Russell | 2nd | 2nd |
| Charles Leclerc | 3rd | 3rd |
| Kimi Antonelli | 5th | 4th |
| Max Verstappen | 4th | 5th |
| Lando Norris | 6th | 6th |
| Isack Hadjar | 7th | 7th |
| Arvid Lindblad | 9th | 8th |
| Pierre Gasly | 10th | 9th |
| Nico Hülkenberg | 11th | 10th |
Hamilton remains on pole alongside George Russell, with Charles Leclerc and Antonelli on row two. Lawson’s removal promotes Arvid Lindblad to eighth, Pierre Gasly to ninth and Nico Hülkenberg to 10th. Formula 1’s official grid page reflects the same order.
The earlier Chiefs Review qualifying report explains how Hamilton beat Russell by 0.009 seconds. Our separate report covers the Friday collision penalties for Lawson and Verstappen.
The 71-lap Mexico City Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, November 1. The grid remains provisional until the FIA issues its final pre-race version.
Featured image: Archive photograph of Liam Lawson driving the 2026 Racing Bulls VCARB 03 during Chinese Grand Prix qualifying. It does not show the Mexico City session. Photo by Liauzh, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0; source file.
