Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson offered an apology to Max Verstappen on Saturday following a practice collision during preparations for the Mexico City Grand Prix, emphasizing that the contact was entirely unintentional.
The incident occurred during Friday’s second practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, triggering a red flag stoppage and drawing an immediate investigation by race stewards. Seeking to clear the air, Lawson approached the four-times world champion on Saturday morning.
“I went to see Max this morning to apologise. Obviously, it was never my intention to make contact,” Lawson told reporters following Saturday’s qualifying session. “Obviously, for both of us, it’s not good, so yeah, I’ll learn from it going forward.”
Verstappen had expressed sharp criticism of his former Red Bull stablemate in the aftermath of the crash, questioning Lawson’s on-track judgment and suggesting the maneuver was particularly ill-advised given the New Zealander’s unsettled standing within Formula One.
“Ultimately only Max knows how he feels,” Lawson responded when asked about Verstappen’s remarks. “Like I said, it was never my intention to have contact. So apologies for that.”
Following their investigation, race stewards penalized both competitors, handing each driver a one-place grid penalty alongside a single penalty point. The sanctions dropped Verstappen from fourth to fifth place and moved Lawson from eighth to ninth on the starting grid for Sunday’s main race, where Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton secured pole position.
Operating with his 2027 Formula One future still undetermined, the 24-year-old Lawson emphasized that his immediate focus remains fixed on maximizing every available performance window.
“Formula One is a tough sport, so I’m trying to do my best. I’m trying to score in every race that I can,” Lawson said.
