Verstappen and Lawson get one-place grid penalties after Mexico City FP2 collision

Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson will each drop one place on the grid for Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix after the stewards found both drivers to blame for a collision in second practice on Friday 30 October. Each driver also gets one penalty point on his licence. Debris from the contact, in the stadium section of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, caused a red flag.

What happened

Verstappen's Red Bull came up behind Lawson's Racing Bulls car approaching Turn 12, the entry to the old baseball stadium. The Race reported that Verstappen was on a preparation lap while Lawson was on a cool-down lap. Verstappen went for the inside, Lawson held his line, and the two ran side by side through Turn 13 before touching at Turn 14.

Verstappen got ahead but lost a section of bodywork on the left side of his car. The debris near Turn 15 led race control to stop the session briefly. On the radio Lawson said Verstappen had driven into him, while Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane later said both drivers were at fault.

Why the stewards went beyond a warning

According to Sky Sports, the stewards called both drivers' behaviour "unacceptable". Their usual starting point for this kind of practice incident would be a formal warning. However, overtaking in the final sector during practice had been raised at the team managers' meeting earlier on Friday, and there had been similar incidents in practice this season and in earlier years. The stewards therefore moved up to a grid penalty.

Both drivers told the hearing the moves had been unnecessary and clumsy, The Race reported.

Damage to Red Bull's Friday

Verstappen finished FP2 fifth, around three tenths off Charles Leclerc's fastest time, but Red Bull said the floor and bargeboard damage cost him downforce for the rest of the session. Autosport recorded his long run at an average of 1m21.490s over nine laps on soft tyres, close to the McLaren and Mercedes pace. That suggests the RB22 is competitive here once repaired.

Before the verdict Verstappen told Sky that Lawson's driving had not been very smart, and pointed to his fellow Red Bull driver fighting for his seat. Lawson is ninth in the championship on 77 points, but Racing Bulls has not yet confirmed its 2027 line-up. Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov drove Lawson's car in FP1 on Friday.

What it means for Saturday

The penalties do not change how qualifying runs. Both drivers will set their times as normal on Saturday, and each will then start one place lower than where he qualifies. Lawson finished FP2 ninth.

They are not the only grid changes. Valtteri Bottas has a 50-place penalty for new power unit parts and will start from the back, and Gabriel Bortoleto has a five-place drop for using a sixth control electronics unit this season.

Qualifying begins at 05:00 Malaysia time (MYT) on Sunday 1 November. The race starts at 04:00 MYT on Monday 2 November.

Key takeaways

• Verstappen and Lawson each get a one-place grid drop and one penalty point.
• The cars collided at Turn 14 in FP2, and the debris caused a red flag.
• The stewards went beyond a warning because the team managers' meeting had covered this kind of overtaking that day.
• Verstappen finished FP2 fifth despite floor and bodywork damage.
• Bottas (back of grid) and Bortoleto (five places) also have grid penalties.

FAQ

Q: What penalty did Verstappen get in Mexico? A: A one-place grid penalty for Sunday's race and one penalty point, for the collision with Liam Lawson in FP2.

Q: Was Lawson also penalised? A: Yes. The stewards found both drivers at fault and gave Lawson the same one-place grid drop and penalty point.

Q: When does the Mexico City Grand Prix start in Malaysia? A: The race starts at 04:00 MYT on Monday 2 November, after qualifying at 05:00 MYT on Sunday 1 November.

Sources: Sky Sports, The Race, Autosport, F1-Fansite, Formula1.com