Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has voiced concerns that the damage to Liam Lawson’s car could be “terminal” and cause him to miss Sprint qualifying.
The New Zealander suffered a disastrous practice session ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix after grinding to a halt in the opening minutes following a hydraulic issue which caused him to lose power steering.
To add to Lawson’s troubles, he is under investigation and at risk of a penalty due to his CDS (clutch disengagement system) not functioning correctly.
The CDS is a critical part of vehicle recovery in Formula 1 after a crash or stoppage, allowing marshals to disengage the clutch without requiring the engine to be running.
Racing Bulls are in a race against the clock to ensure Lawson’s car is repaired in time for Sprint qualifying, a challenge made more difficult by the delay in returning the car to the garage.
Appearing in the team principals’ press conference in Montreal, which started roughly 40 minutes after the end of practice, Permane confirmed the car had yet to be returned.
With the car taking a long time to return, the severity of the damage remains unclear, with Permane aware that it could either be a simple fix or one that results in Lawson missing Sprint qualifying.
Addressing Lawson’s stoppage, Permane said: “Yeah, very frustrating, especially on a Sprint weekend. It’s tough to lose the car so early on.
“It’s a hydraulic leak. As I came up here, we didn’t have the car back yet, so I don’t know how serious it is.
“It could be something very simple and we could be out comfortably for the next session, or it could be something a bit more terminal, so yeah, watch this space.”
Update: Lawson has been forced to miss sprint qualifying
