News Summary
- Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson received one-place grid penalties following their collision during Friday’s second practice session at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix.
- Both drivers were also given one penalty point on their FIA super licences, with the stewards ruling that their conduct was unacceptable and unnecessary.
- Verstappen criticised Lawson’s judgement and referred to his uncertain Formula 1 future, while Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane blamed both drivers for the incident.
Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson will each lose one position on the starting grid for Sunday’s (1) Mexico City Grand Prix after the FIA punished both drivers for their collision during Friday’s (30) second free practice session. The Red Bull and Racing Bulls drivers made contact in the stadium section of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, damaging both cars and forcing a brief red-flag interruption.
The stewards investigated the incident after the session and concluded that both drivers had acted in an unacceptable manner, particularly after teams had been warned about unnecessary confrontations during free practice. In addition to their grid penalties, Verstappen and Lawson received one penalty point each on their super licences.
Verstappen and Lawson collide in Mexico’s stadium section
The incident occurred during the early stages of FP2, when Verstappen and Lawson were attempting to recover track time after sitting out the opening practice session.
Red Bull had handed Verstappen’s car to Ayumu Iwasa during FP1, while Racing Bulls gave Nikola Tsolov an opportunity to make his Formula 1 practice debut in Lawson’s car.
Both regular drivers therefore returned to the cockpit for FP2 with additional running to complete.
Verstappen approached Lawson through the final sector and attempted to overtake the New Zealander into Turn 12.
Lawson subsequently tried to regain the position at the following left-hand corner, with the two drivers running alongside each other through the stadium section.
Verstappen bounced across the kerb and rejoined alongside Lawson, resulting in contact between the Red Bull and Racing Bulls.
The collision damaged the floor of Verstappen’s car and the front wing of Lawson’s machine.
Debris was scattered across the circuit, prompting Race Control to suspend the session briefly while marshals cleared the track.
Both drivers were able to return to the pits and subsequently resume their practice programmes.
Verstappen eventually finished fifth, 0.311s behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, while Lawson placed ninth.
FIA hands both drivers one-place grid penalties
The stewards summoned Verstappen and Lawson after FP2 to investigate the circumstances of the collision.
Officials examined video footage, telemetry and the accounts provided by both drivers before determining that neither had behaved appropriately.
The investigation established that Verstappen had been completing a preparation lap while Lawson was on a cooldown lap ahead of another qualifying simulation.
The stewards considered the actions of both drivers unnecessary, particularly because the incident occurred during a practice session rather than a competitive race situation.
Both drivers acknowledged during the investigation that their manoeuvres had been unnecessary and clumsy.
The FIA also highlighted that team representatives had received a warning earlier on Friday about similar conduct.
Previous incidents during practice sessions had generally resulted in formal warnings, but the stewards decided that a stronger sanction was justified.
Consequently, Verstappen and Lawson were each handed a one-place grid drop and one penalty point.
FIA penalties — Mexico City Grand Prix
| Driver | Team | Grid penalty | Super licence points |
|---|---|---|---|
| M. VERSTAPPEN | Red Bull | 1 place | +1 |
| L. LAWSON | Racing Bulls | 1 place | +1 |
The grid penalties apply to Sunday’s race and will be taken into account when the final starting order is established after qualifying and any additional sanctions.
Verstappen criticises Lawson and questions his judgement
Verstappen made his frustration clear after the session, arguing that Lawson had taken an unnecessary risk.
The four-time world champion rejected the suggestion that the collision had simply been an unfortunate racing incident.
“Maybe not very smart behaviour what he was trying to do there,” Verstappen said.
The Red Bull driver also referred directly to Lawson’s uncertain position within the team’s driver programme.
“Also when you’re fighting for your seat, it’s not very smart behaviour,” he added.
Verstappen insisted that the contact would not fundamentally change his weekend, despite the damage sustained by his car.
Lawson, meanwhile, had reacted angrily over the radio immediately after the collision, accusing Verstappen of driving into him.
The confrontation was particularly notable because both drivers are part of Red Bull’s Formula 1 operation and previously raced as teammates.
Lawson briefly partnered Verstappen at the senior team before returning to Racing Bulls, where his future remains uncertain.
Racing Bulls boss criticises both drivers
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane refused to place responsibility exclusively on either driver.
The British engineer described the collision as unnecessary and suggested that both competitors should have exercised better judgement.
“Completely unnecessary, and I say that to both of them,” Permane said when discussing the incident.
He added that Verstappen and Lawson could both have handled the situation more effectively.
The comments came amid continuing uncertainty over Racing Bulls’ 2027 driver line-up.
The team has not confirmed its drivers for next season, while Tsolov’s appearance in FP1 provided another opportunity to evaluate a potential candidate.
The Bulgarian finished his first Formula 1 practice outing approximately one tenth behind teammate Arvid Lindblad.
Verstappen’s remarks therefore added another dimension to an already sensitive situation for Lawson, who is attempting to retain his position within the Red Bull driver structure.
Verstappen’s penalty complicates Red Bull’s fight against Ferrari
The grid penalty represents an additional challenge for Verstappen as Red Bull attempts to close the gap to Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes in Mexico City.
The Monegasque recorded a 1:17.827 in FP2, finishing 0.103s ahead of Lando Norris and 0.106s clear of George Russell.
Verstappen finished fifth with a 1:18.138, 0.311s behind Leclerc, although the damage sustained in the collision complicated Red Bull’s attempts to evaluate the car’s true performance.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished fourth for Mercedes, while Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar placed sixth.
The Dutchman now faces two separate challenges ahead of qualifying: improving Red Bull’s single-lap performance and overcoming the effect of his grid penalty.
Even if Verstappen sets the fastest lap in qualifying, he will not be able to retain the corresponding starting position without the penalty being applied.
A one-place grid drop could be particularly significant if the leading teams remain separated by only a few hundredths of a second.
Lawson faces another setback in Racing Bulls’ qualifying battle
Lawson also faces a difficult task after receiving the same penalty.
The New Zealander finished ninth in FP2, placing Racing Bulls within reach of a competitive qualifying result.
However, the collision deprived the team of uninterrupted running and forced engineers to assess the damage sustained by the car.
The one-place grid drop means Lawson will need to qualify as high as possible to limit the consequences for Sunday’s race.
His position within the Red Bull driver programme has also attracted attention throughout the season, with the organisation evaluating its options for 2027.
The FIA penalty does not directly determine Lawson’s future, but the incident adds to the scrutiny surrounding his performances and decision-making.
How the penalties will affect Sunday’s Mexican GP grid
The final starting grid will be determined after Saturday’s qualifying session and the application of any outstanding penalties.
Both Verstappen and Lawson will receive one-place grid drops, but their exact starting positions cannot be confirmed until qualifying has been completed and the stewards have issued the relevant classification.
If other drivers receive penalties, the final order may also depend on the sequence in which those sanctions are applied under FIA regulations.
The Mexican Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday, November 1, at 14:00 local time, corresponding to 20:00 GMT in the United Kingdom and 15:00 EST on the US East Coast.
The final practice session takes place on Saturday at 11:30 local time, followed by qualifying at 15:00.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.
