Liam Lawson Apologizes to Verstappen, Then Gets Disqualified From Mexico Qualifying

Liam Lawson apologized to Max Verstappen for their Mexico GP practice clash, then was disqualified from qualifying over a separate MGU-K rules breach.It was an unnecessary situation in FP2 when Racing Bulls’ Lawson and Red Bull’s Verstappen came together at the end of the lap. There was a communication gap as both were preparing for a push lap at the same time.Verstappen was asked to clear Lawson, but the Kiwi didn’t budge, and the sequence led to contact and damage to both cars. Both were handed a one-place grid drop for Sunday’s F1 Mexico GP, after they agreed it was clumsy in the stewards’ hearing.Verstappen called out Lawson for not being smart, especially since he is fighting for his F1 seat. The Kiwi did not speak with the media on Friday, but after qualifying, he apologized for the situation.Lawson Apologetic Toward VerstappenHe played down the things that were said by Verstappen. “Yeah, obviously it’s not ideal and something that should never happen in practice, so I went to see Max this morning to apologize,” Lawson told the media after F1 Mexico qualifying.“I think it obviously was never my intention to make contact, and obviously for both of us it’s not good, so yeah, I’ll learn from it going forward. And obviously tomorrow is a long race. I think when you come in from a session, obviously I didn’t talk to the media yesterday, so yeah, when you come in from a session, and there’s adrenaline, ultimately only Max knows how he feels.“So, yeah, obviously, as I said, it was never my intention to have contact, so apologies for that,” Lawson said. He also said he is trying his best amid growing speculation about his Racing Bulls seat. “Formula 1’s a tough sport, so I’m trying to do my best at the moment, trying to score in every race that I can, but I don’t make the decision,” he said.(Photo by Andy Hone/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202609130606 // Usage for editorial use only //Verstappen Hints He Disagrees With the PenaltyFor Verstappen, there was nothing he could do but accept the penalty, though he hinted that he didn’t agree with it. He reiterated that a lot was already being said outside and internally. “It’s life, I don’t know, that happens,” he said.“I mean, you can agree with it or not. That’s the same in a lot of other sports. You can agree with the decision or not. That’s your own opinion. That’s my personal opinion, but on the other hand, everything has been said on the outside and at the same time also internally,” Verstappen said.He qualified fourth but will start from fifth due to the penalty. At the same time, Lawson was supposed to start from ninth after qualifying a solid eighth, but a post-qualifying disqualification means he will now start from the back of the grid, after the stewards gave him permission to take part in the F1 Mexico GP, RaceFans reports.Lawson’s Disqualification ExplainedAfter qualifying, Lawson was pulled up by the technical delegate for an alleged breach of Articles C5.12.6 and C5.12.7 of the FIA F1 Regulations. It was related to an incident after his fastest lap in Q2, when he did not lift off the power immediately after crossing the control line.The MGU-K adds up to 350 kW, and when that boost ends, the rules make it fade out gradually, by no more than 50 kW or 100 kW per second depending on the track, The Race explains. On Lawson’s car, the power dropped faster than that allows.The rule is part of F1’s complex power unit regulations, and failing a technical requirement can result in disqualification, as it did for Lawson, even though Racing Bulls argued there was no performance gain.The stewards noted that Racing Bulls had disclosed the breach itself, but said precedent required a disqualification despite any mitigating circumstances, because a car must comply with the regulations at all times.Racing Bulls emphasized that it gained nothing from the breach, but accepted the decision. The team had a good qualifying, finishing ahead of both Alpines, but with Lawson now at the back, it will be up to Arvid Lindblad to score well and protect its advantage in the fight for fifth in the constructors’ championship.An update from the team following Qualifying in Mexico. #F1 #VCARB #MexicoGP https://t.co/tEkiLQgH51— Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team (@visacashapprb) November 1, 2026