An incident between Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson marked the second free practice session for the Mexican Grand Prix. Verstappen attacked from the inside in turn 12, while Lawson attempted to retaliate in the following corner. The manoeuvre ended with the four-time world champion running off the track, triggering a session interruption and red flags.
When asked by Sky Sports journalists whether the collision could be described as an unfortunate incident, Verstappen answered in the negative. "I would not call it an unfortunate incident. What he attempted there I would describe as quite unreasonable behaviour," Verstappen stated. He added that he believed Lawson would have acted more wisely if he were in his position. "In the end, it will not affect my weekend too much, but if I were in his position, I would certainly have acted more wisely. When you are fighting for your place in the team, this kind of behaviour is not exactly the wisest," he said.
Despite the incident, Verstappen finished practice in fifth place, 0.311 seconds behind fastest Charles Leclerc. His car sustained significant damage in the collision. Laurent Mekies told Sky Sports Germany that Verstappen's practice had been compromised by the crash. "The car suffered quite a bit of damage, which is a real shame because we had to continue the programme with a damaged car. However, Max is progressing. The situation is still a little unclear, but we have a lot of work to do tonight to put him in a better position," Mekies said.
Both drivers were called to a hearing with FIA stewards. After a multi-hour deliberation, it was decided that both were penalised. Both Verstappen and Lawson were moved back one place on the grid for Sunday's race, and both received one penalty point on their super licences.
