Liam Lawson has apologised to Sergio Perez for showing him the middle finger during their intense battle in Formula 1’s Mexico Grand Prix.
The New Zealander came to blows with his rival at Turn 4 on lap 19 where, after being pushed wide as the Red Bull attempted an overtake, he kept his foot in and the pair then collided at the following right-hander.
Perez’s car suffered damage to its floor edge and sidepod, which the team reckoned cost him around 65-points of downforce.
While the Mexican managed to stay ahead for the rest of the lap, he eventually lost out as the RB breezed past him on the main straight.
In his frustration at the situation, Lawson showed Perez the finger as he overtook – a moment that was captured on television.
Reflecting on that behaviour afterwards, Lawson said it was born out of frustration but admitted it was something that he should not have done.
“It's obviously one of those in the moment things,” he explained. “He spent half the lap blocking me, trying to ruin my race, so I was upset.
“But it's not an excuse. I shouldn't have done it, and I apologise for that.”
Lawson’s actions, both in being aggressive with Perez and then showing him the finger, did not impress Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko.
Marko told ORF: “[It was] an unnecessary collision, where I see Lawson as being more to blame.”
Asked if it was good that Lawson got his elbows out, at least, Marko replied: “If it had been someone else, yes. But not the sister team.”
Lawson himself conceded that it probably was not ideal how things played out with Perez.
“I don't think that's what Helmut likes,” he said. “It's not my character, not something you should be doing."
Perez laid the blame firmly on Lawson’s shoulders for their clash at Turn 5, suggesting that the RB driver could have easily avoided the accident.
However, Lawson saw things differently and reckoned that he had been left with nowhere to go.
“I left him space into (Turn) 4 and was coming in very, very late,” he said. "Honestly, I tried to give him space.
“He drove me off the track, and then he didn't give me space since Turn 5. So, you know, it's unfortunate about the tension, but I don't know where he wants me to go.”
