Liam Lawson has been defended by the FIA over his driving in the Mexico City Grand Prix after the Mexican car club accused him of disrespecting the yellow flags.
The FIA is investigating how two track marshals ran around the circuit as Lawson took Turn 1 early in Sunday’s race, with the New Zealander saying on the team radio: “I could have killed them” and calling the incident unacceptable after getting out of his car. On Thursday, the FIA-sanctioned Mexican federation – Organizacion Mexicana De Automovilismo Internacional (OMDAI) – published a lengthy document outlining the timeline of the incident and appearing to criticize Lawson’s actions at the time.
“Upon re-entering the track, Lawson encounters panel three with ‘double yellow flags’. The team warns the driver via radio, while the marshal’s post waves physical double yellow flags, indicating the presence of danger and personnel working on the track,” OMDAI said.
“It should be noted that the Racing Bulls team informed the driver that there was debris on the track and that this section was under a double yellow flag, so he had to take extreme precautions when driving through the area. Therefore, at that time, the driver had to significantly reduce his speed, not overtake and be prepared to stop if necessary, in accordance with current safety regulations.”
“When analyzing the sequence from the car’s on-board camera, it can be seen that driver Liam Lawson, as he approaches Turn 1, begins to turn to take the racing line, at which point the presence of the marshals is clearly visible as they carry out their intervention procedures to collect the pieces left behind as a result of the previous contact. The proximity of the car to the work area shows that the marshals were still active within the high-risk area, carrying out cleaning and safety duties on the circuit.
“The footage clearly shows driver Liam Lawson maintaining the steering angle of his car as he negotiated Turn 1, without changing his trajectory, even as marshals crossed the track to return to their posts. This action took place while staff were still working in the area, showing that the driver did not interrupt his line despite the obvious presence of marshals.”
The FIA is not happy with criticism from Lawson, who made it clear that the Racing Bulls driver had significantly reduced his speed in accordance with the yellow flags.
“Although the investigation is still ongoing, we recognize that any situation where marshals find themselves on track in front of oncoming cars is something we never want to see, and therefore it is normal that such an incident will raise concerns and numerous reactions,” an FIA statement said. “It is fortunate that this incident did not have any serious consequences, but we are carrying out an internal investigation to understand exactly what happened and to identify any areas where procedures can be improved.
“We are working openly and transparently with the OMDAI (Mexican Automobile Club) and with the Racing Bulls Formula 1 team for this purpose, with the ultimate aim of achieving our common goal of always improving the safety of our sport.
“As with all serious incidents, the full analysis will take some time as it involves collecting and assessing all relevant evidence, including radio communications in multiple languages from the different parties involved, and synchronizing all this disparate input. The findings will be shared once the assessment is complete.”
“Following analysis of the telemetry of the incident, we can confirm that the driver of car No. 30, Liam Lawson, slowed down appropriately and responded correctly to the double yellow flags displayed in the area. He braked earlier than on other laps and entered Turn 1 significantly slower than race speed. He is not to blame for this incident.
“Finally, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the volunteers and marshals for their professionalism and dedication – without them our sport could not function safely.”
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