Isack Hadjar Penalized for Blocking Carlos Sainz in Qualifying for Canadian Grand Prix
Isack Hadjar of the Racing Bulls team has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the upcoming Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix following an incident during qualifying. The rookie driver impeded Carlos Sainz, who was on a hot lap, as he approached Turn 6. This block ultimately led to Sainz’s elimination in Q1, finishing 17th.
During the incident, Hadjar misinterpreted team communications, believing Sainz had aborted his lap when he actually had not. “I never impede anyone, not even in practice,” Hadjar stated before the penalty was confirmed. “I got told Carlos had aborted his lap, and in fact he was still pushing. So, complete miscommunication… it ruins his qualifying. And probably a bit mine.”
The stewards reviewed multiple pieces of evidence, including team radio and in-car footage. They concluded that although Hadjar attempted to yield to Sainz, the move was insufficient given the proximity of the two cars. The official ruling stated, “Car 6 was on an in-lap… and was caught by Car 55 on a push lap… the standard penalty for this infringement is a 3 grid position penalty regardless of whether the incident was the fault of the driver or the team.”
As a result of the penalty, Hadjar will start from 12th position. Sainz, meanwhile, gained a spot to 16th following Yuki Tsunoda’s 10-place grid penalty for a separate red flag incident in Free Practice 3.
