The FIA has made a groundbreaking announcement regarding a penalty verdict for a Red Bull F1 rising star at the Saudi Grand Prix. Liam Lawson, formerly part of Red Bull’s main team before being moved to their sister team, Racing Bulls, faced the official FIA verdict following an incident during practice at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Despite his struggles to score points in the 2025 season, Lawson has been striving to regain his confidence alongside Isack Hadjar at the junior team, while Yuki Tsunoda has taken his place in the main Red Bull team.
During FP1 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Lawson failed to adhere to the race director’s instructions, resulting in a warning and a reprimand from the race stewards. The FIA confirmed that Lawson entered a prohibited painted area between the pit entry and the track, leading to the issuance of the reprimand. While he managed to avoid a sporting penalty for the Saudi Arabian GP, the reprimand will remain on his record for the rest of the 2025 season.
In Formula 1, drivers are allowed four reprimands before facing sporting penalties. This reprimand marks Lawson’s first of the season, with the accumulation of five reprimands resulting in a 10-place grid penalty at a specific race weekend. Notably, penalties are only imposed if all four previous reprimands on a driver’s record are driving-related.
The FIA emphasized that Lawson committed the same offence twice during FP1, highlighting a lack of warning from his team despite clear event notes prohibiting such actions. The statement revealed that the team failed to remind the driver of the prohibition, although Lawson confirmed his awareness of the rule. Despite the incident occurring during Free Practice, the FIA deemed the reprimand necessary due to the repeated infringement of the stated prohibition.
The decision has sparked discussions within the F1 community, with fans and experts speculating on its implications for Lawson’s future performances. As the young driver navigates the consequences of his actions, all eyes will be on his upcoming races to see how he responds to this setback.
