Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Nico Hülkenberg escaped an immediate stop-and-go penalty after the FIA ruled his formation-lap mix-up with Liam Lawson at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix was an unusual case with only minor consequences, handing him a season-long suspended sanction instead and reprimanding both drivers.
The incident came on the third formation lap, when the stewards found Hülkenberg was slower away from his grid position than could reasonably be expected and Lawson moved off earlier than expected. That left the pair out of order at the first Safety Car line, even though both recovered to their correct starting places before the race began.
In the official post-race report, FIA stewards said: “This was an unusual incident. Car 27 was slower than could be reasonably expected, starting from its grid position for what would be a third formation lap. Car 30 started sooner than expected and should have waited longer for Car 27 to start.”
That sequence mattered because the regulations require a car that has not returned to its correct position by the first Safety Car line on the formation lap to start from the pit lane. Since Hülkenberg did not do that, he would normally have faced a mandatory stop-and-go penalty.
The stewards judged the circumstances to be exceptional. They noted that Hülkenberg said during the formation lap he was unable to pass Lawson safely to regain his place, and they found the breach had no practical effect on the start itself. There was no need to delay the start, no disruption to the grid, and no impact on the competition because both cars ultimately lined up in their proper grid slots.
That led the FIA to step away from the usual immediate punishment. Hülkenberg received a reprimand along with the suspended stop-and-go penalty, while Lawson was given a reprimand for his part in the incident. The stop-and-go was suspended under Article 12.4.6 of the International Sporting Code and will only be triggered if Hülkenberg commits a similar breach again before the end of the 2026 season.