Hadjar hit with three-place grid penalty for impeding Sainz during Canadian GP Qualifying

Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar has been given a three-place grid penalty for the Canadian Grand Prix after the stewards found him guilty of impeding Williams rival Carlos Sainz during Qualifying.

Hadjar was on a cooldown lap at the end of Q1 around the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve when Sainz – working through his final push lap – approached the rookie in the first sector.

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Sainz arrived at the rear of Hadjar’s car under braking for the Turn 6/7 chicane, compromising his line and contributing to the Spaniard dropping out in a lowly 17th position.

Sainz was quick to express his frustration over the radio at what he felt had been “massive” impeding, while Hadjar safely made it through to the second phase of Qualifying and eventually placed ninth.

After reviewing footage, data and speaking to both drivers, the stewards opted to penalise Hadjar, who will now fall down the grid for Sunday’s race in Montreal.

“Car 6 [Hadjar] was on an in-lap and was caught by Car 55 [Sainz], on a push lap, at the entry to Turn 6,” read the stewards’ decision document.

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“Although Car 6 attempted to move off the racing line to leave space for Car 55, the move was too late.

“The driver of Car 6 agreed that Car 55 was impeded. He explained that he had earlier been told by his team that Car 55 was approaching on a push lap but the team then told him that Car 55 had abandoned the lap.

“He said that although he saw Car 55 in his mirrors, he relied upon what he had been told by his team and when he realised the information was wrong he did his best to move out of the way.

“The standard penalty for this infringement during Qualifying in the Penalty Guidelines is a three grid position penalty regardless of whether the incident was the fault of the driver or the team.”

“It’s very simple,” said Hadjar in the media pen after Qualifying. “I got told he aborted [the lap]. I was on a fast in-lap as well, so I didn’t move out the way.

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“It’s something we’re all used to doing, but somehow he was still on a push lap. It’s a misunderstanding, but honestly nothing I could have done. I’m sorry for him.”

Hadjar is not the only driver to be penalised for the Grand Prix, with Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda – who qualified 11th – being given a 10-place drop for a red flag breach in practice.