Liam Lawson issued a damning broadside after he narrowly missed hitting two marshals on track at the Mexico City Grand Prix, warning that he could have killed them and branding it dangerous and unacceptable.
In the race which was won in dominant form by McLaren’s Lando Norris, the Racing Bulls driver had started in 15th place but took damage on the opening lap and made an immediate pit stop.
When he emerged from the pit lane he was confronted with two marshals running across the track having been clearing debris from the opening corners directly in front of the New Zealander.
“Mate. Oh my god, are you kidding me? Did you just see that?” he said to his engineer on team radio. “I could have fucking killed them.”
After the race he was outraged that the marshals had been placed in such danger apparently without being informed that he was out of time with the rest of the field after pitting early. “I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” he said.
“Boxed, came out and then I got to turn one and there were just two dudes running across the track. I nearly hit one of them, honestly, it was so dangerous. Obviously there’s been a miscommunication somewhere but I’ve never experienced that before and I haven’t really seen that in the past.
“It’s pretty unacceptable. We can’t understand how on a live track marshals can be allowed to just run across the track like that. I have no idea why, I’m sure we’ll get some sort of explanation, but it really can’t happen again.”
The FIA issued a statement afterwards stating it was investigating what had happened as instructions for marshals to enter the track had been revoked. “Following a turn one incident, race control was informed that debris was present on the track at the apex of that corner. On lap three, marshals were alerted and placed on standby to enter the track and recover the debris once all cars had passed turn one,” the statement read.
“As soon as it became apparent that Lawson had pitted, the instructions to dispatch marshals were rescinded, and a double yellow flag was shown in that area. We are still investigating what occurred after that point.”
Norris also brushed off booing he received from the crowd after his victory, apparently aimed at the British driver because Mexican fans perceived it had been unfair that he had been given back a place he lost to Piastri after a slow pit stop under team orders at Monza. In a poll Mexicans had voted that he should return the three points.
“They have the right to do it if they want to do it, that’s sport sometimes,” he said. “I don’t know why I can’t stop laughing when I get booed. I think it makes it more entertaining for me, so they can keep doing it if they want.”
