An unusual image
During the Miami SQ1 Liam Lawson with Racing Bulls finished 17th, thus being among the six eliminated from the session. Throughout the entire SQ2 – the second segment of the Sprint qualifying – the New Zealand driver remained in the cockpit of his car, as if he were ready to go back on track.
This did not happen, but many wondered why Lawson did not get out of his Racing Bulls once eliminated.
Read more Farewell to Alex Zanardi
Lawson mystery: what happened?
What happened was explained more than an hour after the end of the Sprint Qualifying. Alexander Albon of Williams – who had passed SQ1 and finished SQ2 in 14th position – should not have advanced in Miami SQ2 due to a track limits violation on the lap where he set his best time.
As learned from the document released by the FIA, the violation (exceeding track limits at Turn 6) was reported to the Stewards only after the start of SQ2, when Albon was already back on track.
Being an unusual situation, the Stewards canceled Albon’s SQ1 lap – simultaneously canceling all his SQ2 laps – and demoted him to 19th place.
Carlos Sainz (now 14th), Arvid Lindblad (now 15th), Liam Lawson (now 16th), Esteban Ocon (now 17th), and Sergio Perez (now 18th) each move up one spot on the starting grid.
Read more 6 Hours of Spa: Louis Deletraz replaces Alex Lynn at the wheel of the Cadillac
