Lawson apologises to championship contender after near race-ending Vegas drama

The New Zealand driver, who had qualified sixth, found himself caught in the chaos of the first lap, which saw multiple collisions, including the one involving Piastri. While the McLaren driver escaped largely unscathed, Lawson’s car suffered significant damage, effectively ending his chances of scoring points.

Reflecting on the incident, the 23-year-old explained the circumstances that led to the collision:

“I went in deep. I actually wasn’t even trying to overtake or anything like that. If you check, it was really slippery. I was heading towards the back of whoever was in front of me and basically just had to try and avoid them,” he said in his post-race reaction.

“Big apologies to the team. Obviously, to Oscar as well, I didn't mean to run into him. It's just a shame to have two cars starting in the points and not finishing in the points,” he concluded.

The collision saw Lawson briefly under investigation by the race stewards; ultimately, the stewards opted against further sanction for the Kiwi driver.

The stewards explained why they opted against awarding a penalty to Lawson. In their ruling on the clash with Piastri, they stated that the Red Bull driver had made the move to avoid a possible collision with George Russell, who had locked up his wheels in the opening lap of the Las Vegas race.

While Lawson escaped further sanctions, other drivers, including Gabriel Bortoleto, were handed penalties for their respective collisions during the opening lap of the Vegas Grand Prix.

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