Lawson Disqualified from Mexico City Qualifying Over MGU-K Breach

Liam Lawson’s Mexico City qualifying result has been erased after his Racing Bulls car failed an MGU-K technical check. He drops from ninth to the back of Sunday’s grid, turning a strong team performance into a recovery drive.

Why it matters:

The penalty hurts Racing Bulls’ grid position and gives Alpine a potential lift in the fight for fifth in the constructors’ championship. Racing Bulls still lead by 33 points, but Lawson now faces a much harder race.

The details:

• Post-session checks found Lawson’s MGU-K power output exceeded FIA limits on his fastest Q2 lap.
• The breach came just after the control line: with battery energy depleted, deployment stopped abruptly and output fell from 350kW to zero.
• Rules require a progressive rampdown of 50kW or 100kW per second. Stewards said Lawson “did not lift off the power immediately,” so the permitted rate was exceeded.
• Racing Bulls argued there was no performance gain and that they disclosed the issue, but stewards said non-compliance is not excused without an advantage.
• The ruling follows earlier FIA scrutiny of MGU-K rampdown procedures after questions over Mercedes and Red Bull qualifying techniques.

What’s next:

Lawson must recover through the field in Mexico. Alpine gains a small opportunity, while Racing Bulls try to protect their 33-point cushion in the constructors’ battle.