LAWSON SENT TO THE BACK OF THE GRID
Liam Lawson has been hit with a staggering 35-place grid penalty for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza after Red Bull fitted his car with a series of additional power-unit components beyond the permitted season allocation.
The penalty effectively guarantees that Lawson will start from the back of the field, regardless of his qualifying performance. Under the current regulations, a penalty exceeding 15 places results in the driver being placed at the rear of the grid after the applicable penalties are applied.
Lawson had already been facing a difficult weekend as he continues to replace the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull.
RED BULL CHANGES FIVE POWER-UNIT COMPONENTS
The enormous penalty was triggered by Red Bull introducing a sixth internal combustion engine, sixth turbocharger and sixth exhaust, along with a fourth MGU-K and seventh power-unit ancillary component.
The allocation breaches produced the 35-place total: five places each for the additional ICE, turbocharger and exhaust, plus 10 places each for the MGU-K and PU-ANC.
While the headline figure looks extraordinary, Red Bull’s decision is understandable at Monza. The Italian circuit is dominated by long straights and provides considerably more overtaking opportunities than many other venues, making it one of the more logical places to absorb a major grid penalty in exchange for fresh power-unit hardware.
LAWSON STILL QUALIFIED 14TH
Despite knowing that he would start at the rear, Lawson continued to push during qualifying and ended Q2 in 14th position. His session was also complicated by an incident involving Oscar Piastri, who was subsequently handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding the Red Bull driver.
The situation was particularly frustrating because Red Bull had hoped Lawson could reach Q3 and potentially provide Max Verstappen with a tow on Monza’s high-speed straights.
Instead, Lawson was eliminated in Q2 and Verstappen became Red Bull’s only representative in the final qualifying session.
A MASSIVE RECOVERY DRIVE AWAITS
Lawson’s seventh-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix demonstrated that he can still score valuable points when given a competitive Red Bull. But Monza presents a dramatically different challenge after the 35-place penalty.
Starting from the back means Lawson will need to avoid first-lap trouble, manage his tyres intelligently and make the most of Red Bull’s straight-line performance if he wants to fight his way into the points.
The penalty also adds another layer to Lawson’s already complicated Red Bull situation. With Hadjar recovering from his wrist injury and Lawson competing for his future within the Red Bull system, every opportunity to impress matters.
A strong recovery from the back at Monza could therefore become much more significant than the points alone suggest.
RED BULL HAVE BET ON RACE PACE
Ultimately, the 35-place penalty is less about punishing Lawson personally and more about Red Bull making a calculated power-unit decision.
The team has sacrificed grid position in exchange for fresh hardware, and Monza’s unique layout gives Lawson a chance to recover places through overtaking. Whether that gamble pays off will depend on how quickly he can clear the midfield and whether the new components deliver the reliability and performance Red Bull expects.
For Lawson, the message is simple: the grid may put him last, but the race gives him an opportunity to prove he belongs much further forward.
