FIA stewards penalize both Verstappen and Lawson after FP2 incident
Photo: Race Pictures
Kada Sárközi joined GPblog as an editor ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season. He graduated with a BA in Sports Journalism in the UK and has covered Grands Prix and other F1 events live.
The FIA stewards have penalized both Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson for their FP2 incident. Following their collision, both drivers were handed a one-place grid penalty for the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Verstappen and Lawson went side-by-side through the entire last sector around 30 minutes into the session in Mexico City. Exiting the final corner, the two also made contact.
The debris left on the track also led to a brief red flag period in the session. The incident was first noted by the stewards, then investigated.
WOAH! 😨 This is the moment where Verstappen and Lawson go wheel-to-wheel in FP2, and make contact! 💥 #F1 #MexicoGP https://t.co/edY5rY0h7E
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 30, 2026
Grid penalty for both drivers in Mexico
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The stewards have decided to hand a one-place grid penalty to both drivers, and an additional penalty point as well.
Their verdict wrote: "On the approach to turn 12 car 3 was on a preparation lap and car 30 was on a cool down lap preparing for another push lap. The drivers of both cars behaved in a manner that was considered unacceptable by the Stewards particularly in view of the warning that had been given at the Team Managers meeting earlier this day.
"Both drivers admitted the moves were unnecessary and “clumsy”.
"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."
Verstappen did not understand Lawson
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The Dutchman says the incident was not a smart thing to do by the New Zealander. After FP2, he said: "I was on a fast out lap because I had some little issues. So I was pushing on quite a bit, he was driving really slow. So I was like, alright, let’s go for it. But as soon as he saw me arrive, he started to speed up as well. And yeah, I didn’t know what was going through his head in that hairpin trying to run me off the track.
“For me it’s not very smart behavior when you’re in this position to pick a fight with me.”
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