Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson have both been handed grid penalties following a collision during the second practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The incident, which took place at Turn 12 and the adjacent stadium section of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, disrupted the session and drew criticism from officials and team representatives alike.
The clash occurred when Verstappen was on a preparation lap and Lawson was completing a cool down lap before launching another push lap. The collision caused damage to Verstappen’s car floor and Lawson’s front wing, resulting in a red flag to clear debris from the track. Both drivers acknowledged that their actions were unnecessary and described the incident as “clumsy.”
Following an investigation, the FIA stewards deemed the behaviour unacceptable, especially considering a prior warning issued at the Team Managers meeting regarding similar incidents during free practice sessions. As a consequence, Verstappen and Lawson each received a one-place grid drop and a penalty point on their super licences. Verstappen ended the session in fifth position, while Lawson was ninth.
Alan Permane, team principal of Racing Bulls, described the incident as “completely unnecessary” for a practice session, highlighting the avoidable nature of the clash. Verstappen also expressed criticism of Lawson’s conduct, calling it “not very smart.” The penalties reflect the stewards’ efforts to enforce discipline during practice sessions, where incidents can still impact the teams’ preparations for the race weekend.
While the collision did not occur during a competitive session, the resulting damage and stoppage disrupted the flow of running for both drivers and their teams. The grid penalties serve as a reminder of the importance of maintaining focus and caution even during practice, where track time is crucial for setup and strategy development.
Both Oracle Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls will need to factor these penalties into their plans as the weekend progresses. The incident underscores the fine line drivers must walk between pushing for performance and respecting track etiquette, even outside of qualifying and race conditions.
The stewards’ decision and the responses from the teams involved provide insight into the ongoing challenges of managing driver behaviour across all sessions in the Formula 1® championship.