Max Verstappen has confirmed that relations are now clear with Liam Lawson following their collision during the second free practice session of the Mexico City Grand Prix. The incident, which occurred on Friday, October 30, resulted in grid penalties for both drivers ahead of today’s race.
The clash took place at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez through Turns 12 to 14. Verstappen, on a preparation lap, attempted to overtake Lawson, who was on a cool-down lap.
Lawson subsequently pushed Verstappen wide into Turn 13. Verstappen then cut over the kerb at Turn 14, leading to contact between their cars.
The collision caused damage to Verstappen’s Red Bull floor and Lawson’s Racing Bulls front wing, prompting a brief red flag.
Stewards investigated the matter after the session. They deemed the conduct of both drivers ‘unacceptable’ and ‘unnecessary.’
This ruling was influenced by a warning issued to teams earlier on Friday during a managers’ briefing regarding similar incidents.
The escalation to a grid penalty, rather than a reprimand, was justified by a recurring pattern of such incidents in practice sessions throughout the 2026 season.
Both Verstappen and Lawson received a one-place grid penalty and one superlicence penalty point for the contact.
Initially, Verstappen was critical of Lawson’s actions, describing them as ‘not very smart behaviour.’ He also referenced Lawson’s uncertain Formula 1 future.
Lawson later approached Verstappen to offer an apology after qualifying. He stated that contact was never his intention and that he would learn from the situation.
Following qualifying, Verstappen confirmed that the issue had been resolved between them. He told Dutch media, ‘It’s all fine between us.’
Verstappen had qualified in fourth position for the Mexico City Grand Prix. His one-place grid penalty moved him to fifth on the starting grid.
Lawson, driving for Racing Bulls, initially qualified eighth. His one-place penalty would have dropped him to ninth.
However, Lawson was subsequently disqualified from qualifying entirely. His car was found to be in breach of MGU-K power requirements on his fastest Q2 lap.
This technical infringement means Lawson will start today’s race from the back of the grid. He requires stewards’ permission to participate, which is routinely granted based on practice times.
Both Verstappen and Lawson had missed the opening free practice session. Their cars were driven by rookies Ayumu Iwasa for Red Bull and Nikola Tsolov for Racing Bulls.
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane described the incident as ‘unnecessary’ for a practice session.
The 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix race is scheduled for today, Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 14:00 local time.
Lewis Hamilton secured pole position for Ferrari, with George Russell starting second.
Verstappen is currently fourth in the Drivers’ standings. His primary focus remains securing third place for Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship.
Lawson’s future in Formula 1 beyond the current 2026 season remains unconfirmed.
