Lawson escapes British GP sprint penalty after Hadjar tells stewards move did not merit punishment

Liam Lawson retained his single point from the British Grand Prix sprint race at Silverstone after FIA stewards handed him a formal warning — rather than a time penalty — for a late defensive move on Isack Hadjar approaching Turn 15 on lap 16.

Hadjar had been closing rapidly on his former Racing Bulls team-mate in the final stages of the sprint, attempting to reclaim eighth place at Stowe corner. Lawson chopped across the Red Bull’s nose to repel the move, finishing seven tenths clear at the flag. The incident was logged by stewards as an ‘abnormal change of direction’ and investigated after the race.

What ultimately saved Lawson’s point was Hadjar’s own testimony. In the stewards’ room, the Frenchman stated that while the move was sharp, sufficient room had been left and contact was avoided — and that in his view it did not merit a penalty. Hadjar also noted that the two cars were running on different energy levels, making the closing speed difficult to judge.

Lawson’s account offered a technical defence: he argued the movement of his car occurred while he was still at full throttle and had not yet begun braking, framing it as part of his deceleration and corner preparation rather than a reactive block.

The stewards accepted that the move did not constitute a significant change of direction after braking had clearly commenced, and acknowledged the energy-state differential that complicated Lawson’s spatial awareness. However, they stopped short of fully clearing him.

“The Stewards considered that the defensive move by Car 30 was sufficiently late and abrupt that it warranted a formal caution,” the report read. “Although the Stewards were not satisfied that the circumstances justified a stronger penalty, they considered that the move was marginally over the limit of what is acceptable when defending into a corner.”

Both drivers described the move as “aggressive” in their post-race assessments, though Hadjar’s decision to advocate for Lawson in the stewards’ room proved decisive in preserving the Racing Bulls driver’s championship point.

Lawson had worked his way into the top eight after Hadjar dropped back on the opening lap and after passing a fast-starting Pierre Gasly, making the late defence all the more consequential for a driver fighting for every point in the constructors’ standings.