Every angle: What caused the Lawson-marshal incident in Mexico?

17:03, 31 Oct

Updated: 17:40, 31 Oct

byKada Sarkozi

Multiple explanations have been offered for the dangerous situation that occurred during the Mexico City Grand Prix, when marshals ran across the track in front of Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson. Here’s what has been said about the incident so far.

After the start, a considerable amount of debris was left on the track. The marshals entered to clear it; however, as Lawson pitted for a new front wing, he rejoined well behind the pack, which led to the near-miss moment.

Photo: Race Pictures

After the incident, the driver commented in Mexico: "I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"I boxed, came out on a new set of hards, and then I got to Turn 1, and there were two dudes just running across the track. I nearly had one of them.

"Honestly, it was so dangerous. Obviously, there's been a miscommunication somewhere, but I've never experienced that before, and I haven't really seen that in the past, so it's pretty unacceptable," he explained.

This was not the first time similar situations have occurred in Formula 1. Sebastian Vettel had a comparable experience at the 2020 Emilia Romagna GP, while there were also dangerous moments during the 2011 Canadian GP with a marshal jumping out of the way of a Sauber and then a Lotus car.

FIA shares statement

After the session, the motorsport federation shared a statement with GPblog about the incident, explaining that as soon as the driver entered the pit lane, the decision for the marshals to enter the track was 'rescinded.'

It reads: "As soon as it became apparent that Lawson had pitted, the instructions to dispatch marshals were rescinded, and a double yellow flag was shown in that area. We are still investigating what occurred after that point.

"We would like to underline our respect and appreciation for the local ASN, OMDAI, as well as the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and their marshals, who are volunteers and play a vital role in the safe and successful running of our sport. Their professionalism and dedication are invaluable to every event we stage."

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

According to the Mexican federation, Lawson was also culpable for the incident.

"The images clearly show that driver Liam Lawson maintains the steering wheel angle of his car when taking Turn 1, without changing his trajectory, even though the track marshals were crossing the track to return to their post.

“This action occurs while personnel were still working in the area, which shows that the driver did not interrupt his line despite the obvious presence of marshals on the track.”

UPDATE: In the federation's newest statement, the FIA declared that Lawson is not at fault at all.

It says: "Having analysed the telemetry from the incident, we can confirm that the driver of Car #30, Liam Lawson, slowed appropriately and reacted correctly to the double yellow flags displayed in the area, braking earlier than in other laps and passing significantly slower than racing speed into Turn 1. He is not at fault in this incident."

In conclusion, all sides have offered differing explanations for what happened last Sunday. In its statement, the FIA explained that the situation is still under investigation, and the findings will be shared once it is completed.

It also remains unclear why the marshals entered the track despite the order being rescinded.

Looking ahead, the process of informing marshals about such changes needs to be as efficient as possible to prevent a repeat of this kind of incident in the future.

Ultimately, the most important thing is that no one was hurt. Hopefully, the way this situation highlighted the dangers faced by marshals will help drive innovation in safety procedures.

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