The Racing Bulls team received a heavy fine after a technical regulations violation during the free practice sessions of the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix.
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Friday in Montreal was eventful for Liam Lawson and the Racing Bulls team. The New Zealand driver saw his free practice session cut short after a technical issue immobilized his car on track.
Quickly, the stewards opened an investigation regarding a possible breach of the technical regulations, specifically Article C9.3, which requires the presence of a system allowing the clutch to be disengaged in case the car stops with the engine off.
This device, called CDS (Clutch Disengagement System), must remain operational even in case of failure of hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical systems.
A failure deemed “serious” by the stewards
After hearing the team’s explanations, the stewards concluded that the system did not function as required by the regulations, qualifying the situation as a serious breach.
Racing Bulls was fined 30,000 euros, of which 20,000 euros are suspended for a period of one year.
The stewards notably explained that the failure originated from a hydraulic leak that caused the car to stop, subsequently making it impossible to disengage the clutch via the intended system.
“This is a serious matter” the stewards stated in their official report, emphasizing that the car should have been cleared more quickly if the system had worked properly.
In their decision, they also specified that the incident caused a session interruption under red flag, which could have been avoided with an operational system.
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A system already flagged by the FIA
The investigation also revealed that the FIA had previously alerted Racing Bulls regarding the design of this device on their cars.
According to the report, the team was warned in 2025 about the CDS configuration, considered potentially problematic in certain failure scenarios.
The stewards also noted elements of confusion during the on-track intervention, particularly regarding the actions of the race marshals on the immobilized car.
“The driver indicated two points of concern, notably that the marshals tried to push the car and that an incorrect control was activated” the report specifies.
A questioning of recovery procedures
Beyond the financial penalty, the case also reignites the debate on recovery procedures for cars in Formula 1. The stewards suggested that the simple documentation provided by the FIA might not be sufficient.
They believe that additional practical training could be necessary to avoid this type of confusion in the future.
Racing Bulls therefore leaves Montreal with a fine, but above all with increased attention paid to the reliability of its safety systems.
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