Liam Lawson Fires Back at Carlos Sainz Over Dutch GP Clash Comments

Liam Lawson has hit back at Carlos Sainz's media criticism following their Dutch Grand Prix clash, stating he doesn't understand Sainz's frustration. The incident, which occurred during a safety car restart at Zandvoort, saw Sainz penalised after colliding with Lawson's Racing Bulls.

Why it matters

The post-race comments from Sainz, including branding his penalty a "complete joke" and criticizing Lawson's driving style, have sparked a direct rebuttal from the young New Zealander, highlighting differing interpretations of racing rules and on-track conduct.

The Details

The clash happened at Turn 1, where Sainz attempted an outside overtake on Lawson, leading to contact with the Williams' front-right. Sainz received a 10-second penalty and two superlicence points.

Lawson clarified his stance, referencing the sport's regulations:

• "The regulations are written as they are... if the incident was my fault, I would have got a penalty. So, to me it's pretty clear."
• He added, "I don't know why I was deemed as being aggressive when he was the car overtaking me. I was just defending."

Sainz's View

Sainz had earlier voiced strong opinions on the penalty and Lawson's approach:

• "With Liam, it always seems to be very difficult... He always seems to prefer to have a bit of contact and risk a DNF or a puncture... than to actually accept having two cars side by side."
• Sainz also hoped experience would teach Lawson not to "put too many points on the line for an unnecessary manoeuvre."

Lawson's Response

Lawson expressed surprise at Sainz's personal comments, denying any personal issues between them. He highlighted the race context:

• "It's lap one on a restart, we have cold tyres, hard tyres... It's a naturally difficult corner... He's the car going for the overtake, around the outside, and he didn't get his axle where he needed to get it."
• He concluded, "I don't know why he was so upset, honestly. If I was overtaking him, I would understand that he's more frustrated, but he was the car overtaking, and he got a penalty for it."

Lawson also confirmed that Sainz has not contacted him since the incident, despite his strong public reaction.