Lawson's Attitude Under Fire After Perez Clash

Sergio Perez questions Liam Lawson’s F1 readiness, citing incidents and urging a more respectful approach on and off the track.

Sergio Perez believes that Liam Lawson doesn’t have the right attitude for Formula 1, citing the number of incidents he’s been involved in, including their collision at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Lawson was defending against Perez early in the race and was pushed wide at Turn 4, rejoining on the inside of Turn 5 in an attempt to fight back. The two drivers made slight contact as the battle continued for two more corners before Lawson stayed ahead, with both exchanging insults over team radio, and the RB F1 driver giving Perez the middle finger when he passed him again later in the race.

“I have no relationship with him,” Perez said when asked about his rapport with Lawson within the Red Bull family.

“I think the way he arrived in Formula 1, I don’t think he has the right attitude for it. He needs to be a bit more humble, you know. When a double world champion (Alonso) was telling him things last weekend, he completely ignored him.”

“When you arrive in Formula 1, you are obviously very hungry and so on, but you have to be respectful on and off the track. I don’t think he has the right attitude to show good pace, because I think he’s an excellent driver and I hope he can take a step back and learn from this.”

With the stewards having investigated their clash but taking no further action, Perez argues that Lawson hasn’t received the right message about his approach to racing either.

“Everything was looking good. We were already 10th. I made a move into Turn 4, then he ended up off the track and drove straight, as if there was no car. I think he could have avoided the incident but just came back behind. Luckily, I saw him and left space, otherwise it would have been a huge crash.”

“It wasn’t necessary; we damaged both of our races. I think it was just a bit too much, but I don’t think it’s his fault. He didn’t get a penalty either. He did the same with Fernando, with Franco at the end. There’s no penalty or it’s not his fault either. He’s racing everyone right now to make a point.”

Colapinto is the driver who received a penalty for his collision with Lawson, as the stewards judged that the Williams had not left space on the outside of Turn 2. However, Perez believes that Red Bull needs to speak to Lawson about his driving.

“I think you see these young drivers, obviously very eager for the thrill, and they are really passionate, which is great to see. They have great talent, but I’m only talking about Lawson in this respect. I think in his first two Grands Prix, he had too many incidents, and I think there will come a point where it could cost him too much, like this weekend.”

“He needs to have the right attitude to say: ‘I’m doing a bit too much, I’ll take a step back and start over.’ That’s the learning process you have to go through as a young driver, because if you don’t learn from your mistakes, Formula 1 is a tough world, and he might not continue. It has cost Red Bull Racing a lot of points, so I think they should talk to him.”

Lawson apologizes for his middle finger gesture

While passing Perez on the main straight, Lawson was seen showing his middle finger to the Mexican driver, an inappropriate gesture for which he has since apologized.

“I was obviously angry at the time; he blocked me for half a lap to try and ruin my race. But honestly, I shouldn’t have done it, and I apologize because it’s not something we should do. It was in the heat of the moment, but that’s no excuse.”

The View from Red Bull Management

When asked about the Lawson/Perez clash and whether Lawson should have made things easier for a car from the senior team, Christian Horner’s response wasn’t exactly what Perez might have hoped for.

“They are independent teams, and as you can see, they are racing hard against each other. There was contact, and unfortunately, Checo suffered quite a bit of damage. But that’s racing. We’ve seen plenty of tough battles.”

However, Dr. Helmut Marko believes that Lawson should have been more careful.

“It’s Lawson’s fault. If it had been someone else (other than Perez or Verstappen), it would have been acceptable, but you don’t fight like a madman with the sister team. You have to stay within limits and be more cautious. We will discuss it.”