Hadjar hit with three-place grid penalty for Canadian Grand Prix

Isack Hadjar, the Racing Bulls driver, has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the Canadian Grand Prix after being found guilty of impeding Williams' Carlos Sainz during Qualifying. The incident occurred at the end of Q1 when Hadjar, on a cooldown lap, obstructed Sainz's final push lap in the first sector of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Sainz voiced his frustration over team radio, labeling the impediment as "massive," which ultimately contributed to his lowly 17th-place finish in Qualifying. Despite Hadjar progressing to Q2 and securing ninth, the stewards reviewed footage and data, concluding that Hadjar's late attempt to move off the racing line was insufficient. Hadjar acknowledged impeding Sainz, explaining that conflicting team radio messages led him to believe Sainz had abandoned his lap. However, the stewards applied the standard three-place grid penalty for such infringements, regardless of whether the driver or team was at fault. This penalty also follows Yuki Tsunoda's 10-place grid drop for a separate red flag infringement.