Isack Hadjar Faces Harsh Canadian GP Penalty After Wrong ‘Abandoned’ Call

Isack Hadjar received a setback at the Canadian Grand Prix after officials issued a three-place grid penalty. The Racing Bulls driver had originally qualified ninth during the Saturday session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

However, his penalty came after stewards decided he had impeded Carlos Sainz in the first qualifying round. Sainz, driving for Williams, was on a crucial push lap and aiming for a Q2 appearance, but encountered Hadjar at Turn 6 and lost time.

The incident was quickly reviewed by race officials. According to their report, Hadjar was on an in-lap when Sainz came up behind him at the entry to Turn 6.

Hadjar moved off the racing line in an attempt to make room but did so too late to avoid affecting Sainz’s lap. On team radio, Sainz expressed clear frustration after missing out on advancing to Q2 by just 0.020 seconds.

The lost time proved costly, ending Sainz’s qualifying hopes early. Hadjar explained his side to the stewards after the session.

He said his team initially warned him that Sainz was approaching fast, but then told him that Sainz had abandoned the lap. Relying on this update, Hadjar did not make way soon enough.

By the time he realized Sainz was still pushing, it was too late to clear the track. Stewards noted that Hadjar admitted Sainz was impeded, and that the standard penalty for this type of qualifying incident is a drop of three places, regardless of whether the blame lies with the driver or the team.

As a result of the ruling, Hadjar’s grid position dropped from ninth to twelfth for Sunday’s race. The penalty puts Racing Bulls at a disadvantage and limits Hadjar’s chances for a strong finish in Montreal.

Meanwhile, Sainz, representing Williams, was left outside the top ten for the Canadian Grand Prix, missing an opportunity to improve his position in the 2025 season standings. This moment highlighted how communication errors between teams and drivers can have a major influence in Formula 1 qualifying.

In a tight field where margins are measured in thousandths of a second, relaying accurate information remains critical. For Racing Bulls, the mistake was costly during one of the most important weekends on the 2025 calendar.

With the grid now set and penalties assigned, the focus shifts to the Canadian Grand Prix. Race fans will be watching to see whether Hadjar can recover ground from twelfth and how the penalty affects Racing Bulls’ overall performance.

For Sainz and Williams, the frustration of missed opportunity will only add determination ahead of the next events on the F1 calendar.

John Martinez

John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.