In this article
Second Practice Collision and Penalties
Red Bull teammates Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson have each received a one-place grid penalty for Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix following an on-track collision during Friday's second practice session. Stewards condemned the incident as “unacceptable” after the contact disrupted running and caused damage to Verstappen's RB22.
Turn 13 Contact and Car Damage
The clash occurred at Turn 13 of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez when Lawson held the inside line and pushed Verstappen off the circuit. The manoeuvre forced the reigning four-time World Champion across the kerbs at Turn 14, where the two cars touched. Verstappen's car sustained bargeboard damage that compromised his entire practice run and raised questions about team discipline and driver judgment.
Related posts
Red Flag and Stewards Hearing
The impact scattered debris across the circuit and prompted a brief red flag, halting track action and disrupting preparations for the race weekend. Following the incident, both drivers were summoned before the stewards to explain their conduct. The official ruling emphasized that competitors had already received explicit warnings about safe behaviour on track during an earlier Team Managers' meeting.
Penalty Upgrade to Grid Drop
During the hearing, both Verstappen and Lawson conceded that their actions were “unnecessary” and “clumsy.” Rather than issuing a standard formal warning, the stewards escalated the sanction to a grid drop, citing a recurring pattern of comparable incidents occurring during free practice sessions throughout the season.
Driver Reaction and Team Dynamics
In the aftermath, Verstappen questioned Lawson's decision-making and expressed bewilderment at the aggressive move, remarking that picking a fight with him was not smart behaviour given the New Zealander's unresolved contract status. The collision introduces further internal pressure at Red Bull as the team attempts to balance supporting emerging talent against protecting its championship leader, with the resulting grid penalties set to alter both drivers' strategies for Sunday's race.
Sources: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson receive grid penalties after clumsy Mexico GP clash.
