Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson get F1 grid penalties for 'unacceptable' Mexico GP practice clash
Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson have been penalised for their clash in Mexico Grand Prix practice.
Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson have both been hit with one-place grid penalties for their "unacceptable" collision during second practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The pair came to blows in the early stages of FP2 when Verstappen tried to overtake Lawson through the stadium section at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Lawson initially held his ground into Turn 12 but they continued side-by-side through the next sequence of corners, before making contact at Turn 14 when Verstappen rejoined the track.
The clash damaged both cars and left debris strewn across the track, leading to a brief red flag stoppage so it could be cleared.
Verstappen accused Lawson of "not very smart behaviour" but the stewards took a dim view of the incident, stating both the Red Bull and Racing Bulls drivers "behaved in a manner that was considered "unacceptable".
The stewards also revealed that Verstappen and Lawson both admitted their moves had been "unnecessary and clumsy".
It is extremely rare for grid penalties to be handed out for incidents that occur during free practice, but on this occasion the stewards handed out tougher punishments following earlier warnings at the team managers' meeting on Friday.
Verstappen and Lawson have also each received a superlicence penalty point.
“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 FIA document read.
“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.”
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