Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson will each start Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix one place lower than where they qualify. The stewards penalised both drivers for a collision in second practice that brought out a red flag. Verstappen then criticised the Racing Bulls driver, calling his actions “not very smart behaviour” from a driver “fighting for your seat”.
The stewards called the conduct of both drivers “unacceptable”. They raised the punishment from a formal warning to a grid penalty because team managers had been warned about this kind of driving earlier on Friday. Both drivers were also given one penalty point.
What happened in the stadium section
The clash came in the twisting final sector at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Verstappen was on a preparation lap and Lawson was on a cool-down lap before another push. Verstappen dived up the inside at Turn 12 as the cars headed into the old baseball stadium. Lawson held his line, so the pair ran side by side through Turn 13 and touched at Turn 14. Verstappen bounced over the kerb and rejoined alongside the Racing Bulls car.
The contact broke parts of the left side of the Red Bull. Debris on the circuit forced a brief red flag while marshals cleared it. Both drivers finished the session, Verstappen fifth fastest and Lawson ninth. Charles Leclerc topped the session for Ferrari with a 1:17.827.
On the radio straight afterwards, Lawson said Verstappen had “literally drove into me”. He added: “If I back out every single time, what the **** do I do? He actually came off the track into the side of me.”
The stewards’ decision said: “Noting that there had been similar incidents this year of actions between drivers in Free Practice, the stewards have decided to escalate the penalty from that of a formal warning to a grid position penalty particularly in view of the warning that had been provided at the Team Managers meeting and consistent with other incidents involving contact between the cars in Free Practice in previous years.” According to the stewards, both drivers admitted the moves were “unnecessary and clumsy”.
Verstappen’s pointed message
Verstappen rejected the idea that the collision was bad luck. “I don’t think it’s called unlucky,” he said. “Maybe not very smart behaviour what he was trying to do there. At the end of the day, it’s not going to change my weekend but if I would be him, I would act a little bit smarter. Also when you’re fighting for your seat, it’s not very smart behaviour.”
In a separate interview he said Lawson had sped up deliberately. “When he saw me coming, he suddenly started to accelerate. I don’t know what was going through his head, that he wanted to drive me off the track in the hairpin,” he said. “That’s not very sensible behaviour from someone in his position, to pick a fight with me.”
Lawson did not speak to the media after Friday’s running. Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane blamed both drivers. “I think one word, just ‘unnecessary’ in a practice session,” he said. “Completely unnecessary and I say that to both of them. I’m sure he’s got his opinion and I’m sure Liam has got his opinion but mine is, it’s just not needed and they can both do better.”
A seat on the line
Verstappen’s comment about Lawson “fighting for your seat” reflects the New Zealander’s position. Racing Bulls have not confirmed their 2027 line-up. Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov, second in Formula 2, is in contention for a place, and he was a tenth slower than Lawson’s team-mate Arvid Lindblad in FP1 on Friday.
Lawson has a strong case on results. He is ninth in the drivers’ championship, 39 points ahead of Lindblad. Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok said it would be “unjust” if Lawson lost his drive.
The two drivers have shared a garage before. Lawson started 2025 as Verstappen’s team-mate at Red Bull but was dropped after two rounds. This season he returned to the senior team for three races while Isack Hadjar was injured. Racing Bulls and Red Bull have the same owners, and the decision on Lawson’s future will be made within that wider structure.
For Verstappen, one place matters less. He is fourth in the championship on 236 points and well behind leader Kimi Antonelli, who has 365 and could clinch the title on Sunday. Verstappen was 0.311 seconds off Leclerc in FP2. The penalty is most likely to cost him on the opening run to Turn 1, one of the longest on the calendar.
Qualifying takes place on Saturday at 21:00 GMT, and the race starts on Sunday at 20:00 GMT.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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