Liam Lawson has expressed his ‘extreme surprise’ at the Mexican motorsport federation’s decision to blame him for the marshal incident during the Mexico City GP. The Racing Bulls driver narrowly avoided two marshals who rushed onto the track during the opening laps. The federation claimed he had not slowed down enough, a claim later refuted by the FIA. Nevertheless, Lawson finds it remarkable that he was reprimanded in such a way.
Footage from Liam Lawson’s car went viral after the Mexico City GP. After the chaos in the opening lap, the New Zealander came in for a tyre change and a new front wing. As he re-entered the track, he encountered two marshals who were clearing debris from the circuit. Lawson had to swerve to avoid hitting the volunteers. “I could have killed them,” he exclaimed in shock. The FIA later launched an investigation into the incident.
The day after the incident, the Mexican motorsport federation accused Lawson of not braking sufficiently. The FIA defended him and cleared the New Zealander of any blame. According to the organization, he had ‘appropriately slowed down’ and ‘correctly responded’ to the double yellow flags being waved in the relevant sector. Ahead of the race weekend in São Paulo, he expressed his appreciation for the FIA’s support.
‘Consciously Chose a Wider Line’
“I was extremely surprised when it all came out,” Lawson responded to Sky Sports. “That’s why I was very grateful that the FIA came out with a response. They clearly investigated it thoroughly, along with the team. They have all the data from the car, so their statement was factual and clear. Honestly, I remain surprised that the Mexican federation can say something like that without a thorough investigation.”
Lawson explained that he consciously avoided making any unexpected steering movements when he saw the marshals running past. “Some people might expect you to swerve a lot in such a situation, but of course I didn’t know which way they would go,” he said. “I assumed that as long as I kept my line, they would continue running in the same direction. If I had swerved, I might have scared them. In the end, I consciously chose a wider line. That’s what happened, and that was confirmed in the investigation.”
