Liam Lawson criticizes Carlos Sainz for the accident in turn 1 of the Formula 1 race in Mexico – The New Zealander demands more respect
Liam Lawson has harshly criticized Carlos Sainz after his retirement from the Mexican Grand Prix. A collision in the first corner severely damaged both cars and ended the New Zealander’s race prematurely.
The incident occurred at the start after Fernando Alonso lightly touched the rear of Esteban Ocon’s car. Sainz moved to the left to avoid the slow Haas, but this maneuver caused him to drive straight into Lawson’s Racing Bulls car.
While Sainz suffered damage to his tires and rims and later spun out of the Grand Prix, Lawson had to retire his battered car immediately.
“Just crap”
“A lot of guys slid in Turn 1, but I left plenty of room next to Carlos, and I think he just decided to cut the chicane,” the New Zealander fumed after the race. “But he didn’t look to his left, and I’m right there. He just drives into me.”
“That’s just crap. I think you have to be more careful there, to be honest,” said Lawson. “It destroyed the side of my car and I had to retire.”
When asked if he would talk to Sainz about it, Lawson replied: “I mean, there’s not much I can say. I’m not saying he did it on purpose. I’m sure he didn’t run into me on purpose, but it’s just one of those things.“
Sainz blames the chaos at the start
”I completely understand that it’s Turn 1 on the first lap, it’s chaotic,” he admitted. “But we all try to be aware of what’s going on around us. You can’t just decide to cut the chicane without looking to the left, because he hit me so hard that the whole side of the underbody was destroyed, my front wing was broken, and our race was simply over—we were three seconds per lap slower after that.”
Sainz himself summed up the incident very neutrally, avoiding blaming anyone or taking responsibility.
“I think there were three or four of us in Turn 1 and there was a big mess. We were three or four cars side by side, as always in Mexico, a tricky spot,” was all the Williams driver said.
The collision contributed to the Racing Bulls’ third consecutive race without points. This means that their lead in the Constructors’ Championship over Aston Martin, Haas, and Sauber has shrunk to three, ten, and twelve points, respectively. In the remaining races, it is now a four-way battle for sixth place.
