Verstappen and Lawson handed grid penalties for clumsy Mexico FP2 clash

Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson have each received a one-place grid penalty for the Mexico City Grand Prix after stewards called their FP2 clash “unacceptable” and “clumsy.” Both also picked up a penalty point.

Why it matters:

Practice contact rarely brings grid drops, but stewards cited a warning from the Team Managers’ meeting. The sanction leaves both drivers with less margin in qualifying: Verstappen at a track where track position matters, Lawson in a congested midfield.

The details:

• At Turn 12, Verstappen—on a preparation lap—moved across Lawson, who was cooling down.
• Lawson tried to re-pass through the stadium section; Verstappen bounced over the kerb, rejoined alongside, and damaged the Red Bull floor while damaging the Racing Bulls’ front wing.
• A red flag cleared debris; Verstappen finished P5, Lawson P9.
• Stewards reviewed video and data, heard both drivers, and escalated from a formal warning to a grid penalty plus penalty point, noting similar FP incidents this year.
• Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane called it “completely unnecessary”; Verstappen had criticised Lawson’s “not very smart behaviour.”

What’s next:

Both will drop one place from their qualifying result. The penalty adds early pressure to a weekend where clean sessions and grid position will be vital.