Verstappen and Lawson Handed Grid Penalties After Mexico GP Practice Collision

Posted : 31 October 2026

Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson have been handed one-place grid penalties following a collision during Friday's second practice session ahead of the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver and his Racing Bulls counterpart were also awarded one penalty point each after Formula One stewards ruled that both had behaved unacceptably during the incident at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

The collision happened in the stadium section towards the end of the circuit. Verstappen was attempting to overtake Lawson at Turn 12 before the pair continued side by side through the following corners. Their cars eventually made contact at Turn 14, scattering debris across the track and forcing officials to briefly suspend the session.

According to the FIA stewards' report, Verstappen was preparing for a flying lap, while Lawson was on a cooldown lap ahead of another qualifying simulation attempt.

Both drivers admitted that their manoeuvres were unnecessary and clumsy. However, the stewards decided to impose grid penalties instead of the usual formal warning because teams had already been cautioned about similar incidents during an earlier meeting.

Verstappen was particularly critical of Lawson following the confrontation. The four-time world champion questioned the New Zealander's decision to defend his position against an approaching car.

"Maybe not very smart behaviour what he was trying to do there," Verstappen said.

He added that Lawson should have acted more carefully, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding his position at Racing Bulls for next season.

Lawson is among the drivers competing for a place in Red Bull's junior team for the 2027 campaign. His potential rivals include current team-mate Arvid Lindblad and Bulgarian Formula 2 driver Nikola Tsolov.

Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane criticised both drivers, describing the incident as unnecessary.

He said both competitors should have handled the situation better, adding that such confrontations had no place during a practice session.

Meanwhile, Ferrari enjoyed an encouraging start to the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, with Charles Leclerc topping both Friday practice sessions.

The Monegasque driver recorded a fastest lap of 1:17.827 in FP2, finishing 0.103 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris. Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished third and fourth respectively, while Verstappen completed the top five.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult session after suffering a technical problem that prevented him from completing his planned running.

The Mexican Grand Prix qualifying session is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, with the 71-lap race taking place on Sunday, November 1.

The penalties mean Verstappen and Lawson will each lose one position from their eventual qualifying grid positions, adding another complication to their preparations for Sunday's race.

Verstappen and Lawson Handed Grid Penalties After Mexico GP Practice Collision

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