‘Could’ve killed them’: Lawson gets FIA apology after Mexico marshals scare
Liam Lawson left Mexico City with more than tire graining on his mind. The Racing Bulls rookie says the FIA apologized to him on Sunday night after a frightening near-miss with two marshals who crossed the racing line just as he rejoined the track after a pit stop.
The incident, which unfolded at Turn 1 as Lawson re-entered the race, triggered an immediate investigation from the governing body and a sharp radio message from the Kiwi, who told his team he “could’ve killed” the track workers. The FIA later explained that an instruction to send marshals out to collect debris had been rescinded once Lawson pitted—yet two marshals were still crossing the live track when he arrived.
Days later, Mexico’s national sporting authority, OMDAI, complicated matters with a statement and a string of screenshots implying Lawson hadn’t slowed enough under yellow flags. That wasn’t the official view. The FIA subsequently clarified Lawson hadn’t done anything wrong with his driving in the moments before the near-miss, and the driver says that’s where he’s leaving it.
“I was very surprised,” Lawson said with a wry smile when the subject resurfaced in São Paulo. “The FIA statement was clear and accurate. They looked at everything that led to marshals being out there, and everything I did to slow down and avoid them. I took a completely different line to make sure I missed them. I’m still surprised it happened.”
Lawson confirmed he spoke with FIA officials on Sunday night in Mexico and received an apology. “I appreciated that,” he said. “We’re in a sport with a huge number of variables. As much as this can’t happen again—and it shouldn’t—there’s always the possibility of something going wrong. What matters is what’s being done now to prevent a repeat. My only issue was the [OMDAI] statement trying to accuse me of something.”
The picture that’s emerging, he added, is one of crossed wires. “From my understanding, they were released onto the track and then recalled, but for whatever reason they didn’t get that message—or they’d already gone. At the time, it was a miscommunication.”
On the lap itself, Lawson’s instincts were to reduce risk, not argue about pace. “I had no idea which way they’d run. I tried to make as few direction changes as possible so I didn’t spook them into changing direction. That was the only thing on my mind. Anyway, our car was heavily damaged—it didn’t change our race.”
It was a jarring reminder of how thin the margins can be. F1’s safety standards have been transformed over the decades, but the sport still bears scars from moments when cars and people have shared the wrong piece of tarmac at the wrong time. Mexico’s near-miss didn’t become one of those days, and nobody in the paddock wants to rely on luck the next time.
The FIA’s investigation is ongoing, and procedures around deploying and recalling marshals will be under the microscope. As for Lawson, the 23-year-old handled the noise with a light touch—surprised by the finger-pointing, satisfied with the governing body’s response, and focused on getting back to work with Racing Bulls at Interlagos.
“I don’t need to say much more than what’s in the FIA statement,” he said. “They checked everything, and I did what I needed to do in the car.”
