Racing Bulls Fined €30,000 for Liam Lawson CDS Failure at Canadian GP

The Racing Bulls Formula 1 team has been fined €30,000 following a mechanical failure on Liam Lawson’s car that forced a red flag during practice for the Canadian Grand Prix. The fine, of which €20,000 is suspended for 12 months, was issued after stewards determined the car’s Clutch Disengagement System (CDS) did not function as required by the regulations.

Lawson’s car stopped on track at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve approximately ten minutes into Friday’s sole practice session due to a ruptured hydraulic joint. Marshals were unable to move the stricken vehicle, necessitating a red flag that neutralized the session. According to the stewards' report, the CDS, a button on the car's exterior designed to allow marshals to disengage the clutch for recovery, failed to activate despite a marshal’s attempt to press it.

The stewards described the failure as a "serious matter," noting that a functioning CDS would have allowed the situation to be managed under a Virtual Safety Car, avoiding the full session stoppage. Their investigation revealed that the system on Lawson’s car serves a dual purpose: its primary role of clutch disengagement and a secondary function related to the car’s...