Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar has been slapped with a three-place grid penalty for impeding Williams’ Carlos Sainz during qualifying for the 2025 F1 Canadian Grand Prix.
The incident which unfolded in the closing moments of Q1 has become one of the most talked-about stories leading into Sunday’s race, with significant ramifications for both drivers’ weekends and broader implications for team strategies.
The controversy unfolded as Carlos Sainz, who had shown promising pace throughout practice, was on his final push lap in Q1 seeking to secure a spot in the second qualifying segment.
As Sainz approached the Turn 6/7 chicane, he encountered Hadjar, who was on a cooldown lap. The Racing Bulls driver remained on the racing line, apparently unaware the Williams was still on a flying lap.
This forced Sainz to change his trajectory, compromising his speed and ultimately resulting in his elimination from qualifying in 17th place—a devastating blow for the Williams driver who had realistic ambitions of reaching Q3 and contending for a top-eight grid position.
Canadian Grand Prix 2025 Qualifying Results
Sainz’s frustration was immediately evident, describing the impeding as “massive” over team radio and lamented the impact on his qualifying session.
Sainz elaborated to the media afterward, expressing disbelief that such a situation could happen especially after he had already noticed Hadjar ahead through Turns 3 and 4 and expected the Racing Bulls car to move aside.
“I don’t care if I was fast,” he remarked. “If in Q1 you arrive and there’s a guy in the middle of the road that completely blows your qualifying away and that means that your weekend is destroyed.
“I’m in P17 when I should be fighting for Q3 and top eight today, so I’m extremely disappointed.”
For Isack Hadjar, the situation was equally perplexing, albeit for different reasons. The French rookie, who had delivered an impressive performance to reach Q3 and initially qualified ninth, defended his actions by citing a miscommunication with his team.
According to Hadjar, his race engineer initially warned him that Sainz was approaching on a push lap, but then relayed that Sainz had aborted his attempt.
Relying on this information, Hadjar remained on the racing line only realizing too late that Sainz was still pushing. Despite seeing the approaching Williams in his mirrors, the rookie’s attempt to move aside was insufficient to prevent the impeding.
The stewards’ investigation was thorough, involving a review of video footage, telemetry data, team radio communications, and in-car camera angles. Both drivers and team representatives were summoned to provide their accounts.
The official report concluded that Hadjar had indeed impeded Sainz, and although the Racing Bulls driver attempted to leave space, his move was “too late.”
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The stewards highlighted that the punishment for such an infringement is standardized—a three-place grid penalty—regardless of whether the fault lies with the driver or the team’s communication.
Isack Hadjar’s grid penalty means he will start Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix race from 12th rather than ninth, promoting several drivers up the grid including Williams’ Alex Albon, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.
Sainz, meanwhile, will start 16th after Yuki Tsunoda’s separate grid penalty for a red flag infringement elevated the Williams driver by one place.
Hadjar, reflecting on the penalty, expressed regret for the outcome, stating: “I never impede anyone, not even in practice. I got told Carlos had aborted his lap, and in fact he was still pushing.
“So, complete miscommunication from what I got told and it’s a shame it ruins his qualifying. And probably a bit mine.”
