Lawson avoids Monaco penalty after red light scare

The Racing Bulls driver was investigated after crossing the pit exit as the session ended following a late red flag triggered by Fernando Alonso’s crash at the seafront chicane.

As drivers prepared for a final practice start, Lawson exited the pit lane just as the red light came on to signal the end of FP1, prompting an FIA review into the circumstances.

According to the stewards’ report, Lawson was given only a narrow window to leave the garage and enter the pit lane, with officials outlining the timing sequence that led to the confusion.

“The driver was warned he had 7 seconds left when he left the garage,” the report read.

“He then travelled down the pit lane, and the green light changed to red when he was approximately 0.8 seconds from crossing the pit lane exit,”

The report also noted Lawson was relying on a secondary visual reference inside the pit lane, which contributed to the misunderstanding.

“He then reported over the team radio that he had been focusing on the countdown clock, which is located above the pit exit, which still showed two seconds remaining before the light turned red,” the report continued.

However, the FIA made clear the display used by the driver has no official standing in determining pit exit status.

“The Stewards note that this countdown clock is not official and does not override the red light at the pit exit,” they said.

“There is no official synchronisation between the countdown clock and the red light at the pit exit.”

Despite the procedural breach, the stewards placed significant weight on the timing margins and safety considerations in their decision.

“The Stewards also note that, considering the driver had less than a second to react, had he tried to stop, he might have ended up coming to a halt on a live track,” they said.

“In view of the above mitigating circumstances, no penalty will be imposed.”

The decision ensures Lawson leaves Friday without sanction from the incident, capping a disrupted FP1 where he finished 19th before improving to 16th in FP2.