F1 highlights from the Mexico City Grand Prix were shaped by an incident that should have carried no real risk: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson collided during second practice, and both drivers were later handed a one-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race.
The stewards’ decision means the clash has directly affected the weekend for both men, even though it came in a session where nothing was at stake. For Verstappen, the four-time world champion, it also brought a pointed response aimed at Lawson after the pair came together on track.
What happened in FP2?
The collision came during second practice, a session that should have been about preparation rather than consequence. Instead, the stewards judged the contact worthy of sanction and gave both Verstappen and Lawson a one-place grid penalty.
That makes the incident especially notable because Lawson is part of the broader Red Bull stable, rather than Verstappen’s direct team-mate. The relationship between the two has already been shaped by earlier periods this season, with Lawson having spent two races alongside Verstappen at the start of 2024 and then another three rounds in the middle of this season.
Verstappen’s response
Verstappen did not describe the incident as bad luck. His view was that Lawson had simply not handled the situation well enough, saying: “I don't think it's called unlucky. Maybe not very smart behaviour, what he was trying to do there.”
He added that the penalty would not change his own weekend, but he believed Lawson needed to show more judgement. “At the end of the day it's not going to change my weekend. If I would be him I would act a little bit smarter, also when you are fighting for your seat it's not very smart behaviour,” Verstappen said.
Why this matters for Red Bull
The reaction matters because Verstappen carries major influence within Red Bull, and his racing style is often compared with Ayrton Senna. That gives his criticism extra weight, particularly when it is aimed at a younger driver operating within the same wider structure.
What makes the whole episode stand out is how avoidable it felt. In practice, with nothing directly on the line, both drivers have still ended up paying a price. For a weekend that should have been about fine-tuning, the Mexico City Grand Prix now starts with a penalty attached to one of its most talked-about incidents.
