Verstappen and Lawson Handed Grid Penalties for Mexico FP2 Clash

Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson will each serve a one-place grid penalty at the Mexico City Grand Prix after stewards ruled their FP2 collision in the stadium section was unacceptable. Both drivers also received a penalty point on their superlicences.

Why it matters:

The punishment escalates the FIA’s response from a formal warning to a sporting penalty, particularly after teams were reminded at the Team Managers’ meeting earlier that day. For two Red Bull-linked teams, the incident costs both drivers track position before Sunday.

The details:

• Verstappen tried to pass Lawson into Turn 12; they went side by side through the stadium, and contact damaged Verstappen’s bargeboards.
• Verstappen said Lawson’s defence was “not very smart behavior” given his position.
• Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane called it “unnecessary” and “a storm in a teacup,” pointing to the need to push through the final sector for tyre preparation.
• The FIA noted both drivers admitted the moves were “unnecessary” and “clumsy”; penalties were escalated due to prior warnings and similar practice incidents.

What's next:

Both drivers will carry the grid drop into Sunday’s race, turning a practice flashpoint into a tangible competitive consequence. The stewards’ hard line also signals closer scrutiny of on-track conduct in practice, not just qualifying and races.