Liam Lawson: FIA says Racing Bulls driver 'not responsible' for near-miss with marshals at Mexico GP | F1 News
The FIA has dismissed the Mexican motorsport federation's criticism of Liam Lawson by insisting the Racing Bulls driver was “not at fault” for a near-miss with marshals during Sunday's race.
On the third lap of the Mexico Grand Prix, Lawson narrowly avoided a collision with two marshals sent to clear debris in the first sector, with the incident leading the sport's governing body to launch an investigation after the race.
Although that investigation is incomplete, Mexico's FIA-sanctioned motorsport federation, ODMAI, issued a statement Thursday accusing Lawson of failing to slow down sufficiently under double-wave yellow flags and failing to change his line in the first corner as he approached the marshals.
Without mentioning the ODMAI statement, the FIA released its own statement on Friday exonerating Lawson of any wrongdoing.
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Highlights from the Mexico Grand Prix.
The FIA statement said: “While the investigation is ongoing, we recognize that any situation where marshals find themselves on track in front of oncoming cars is something we never want to see, and so it is natural that such an incident would give rise to concern and widespread comment.”
“It is fortunate that this incident did not result in serious consequences, but we are carrying out an internal investigation to understand exactly what happened and identify areas where procedures can be improved.
“We are collaborating for this purpose in an open and transparent manner with OMDAI (Mexican Automobile Club) and with the Racing Bulls Formula One team, with the ultimate objective of achieving our common goal, which is to always improve the safety of our sport.
“As with any serious incident, the full analysis will take some time, as it involves collecting and reviewing all relevant evidence, including radio communications in multiple languages from the various parties involved, and synchronizing all of these various contributions. The findings will be shared once the review is complete.
“Having analyzed the telemetry of the incident, we can confirm that the driver of the No. 30 car, Liam Lawson, slowed down appropriately and reacted correctly to the double yellow flags displayed in the area, braking earlier than in the other laps and overtaking significantly slower than racing speed in Turn 1. He is not at fault in this incident.
Lawson was involved in a near-accident with two marshals at the Mexico GP
The incident appears to be the result of marshals deploying on the track, thinking the entire field had cleared the first few corners at the start of lap three, while Lawson still had to clear the section after stopping for a fresh nose at the end of lap two.
The FIA explained immediately after Sunday's race that the marshals had been dispatched without knowing that Lawson was in the pits, and that instructions to send them onto the track had been canceled and double yellow flags were waved as soon as the presence of the approaching Racing Bulls car was noted.
Double-waving yellow flags mean that drivers must significantly reduce speed, cannot overtake and must be prepared to change direction or stop due to the presence of a hazard on the track and/or the presence of marshals on or adjacent to the circuit.
There are more extreme intervention options available to the race director, such as a virtual safety car, safety car or red flag.
The FIA added: “Finally, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the volunteers and stewards for their professionalism and dedication – without them our sport could not operate safely.”
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2025-10-31 16:15:00
