Liam Lawson kept his Austrian Grand Prix points finish after FIA stewards ruled that a practice-start breach technically occurred but did not merit a penalty.
The Racing Bulls driver was investigated after crossing the white line at pit exit before making a practice start at the Red Bull Ring. In Document 47, stewards said Lawson had failed to follow Race Director instructions linked to item 13.6 of the competition notes.
That mattered because Lawson went on to finish ninth, directly ahead of team-mate Arvid Lindblad, completing a double-points afternoon for Racing Bulls that had already sharpened the team’s midfield position. ReadMotorSport covered the wider team impact from that result here.
Why stewards let Lawson off
The FIA decision said the breach occurred while Lawson was trying to line up for a practice start, only to find another car stopped in the pit-exit road. Stewards reviewed in-car video and concluded that Lawson crossed the white line at slow speed while passing the stopped car, then moved again to prepare the practice start as originally intended.
The ruling was blunt: no penalty. Stewards accepted that the breach was technical, but judged Lawson’s actions appropriate in the circumstances.
The final classification locked Lawson into ninth and Lindblad into 10th, giving Racing Bulls three points on a day when George Russell won ahead of Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli.
GEORGE RUSSELL WINS IN AUSTRIA! IT’S HIS SECOND GRAND PRIX WIN OF THE SEASON! #F1 #AustrianGP
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 28, 2026
