Lawson's Brush with Disaster: Driver Left Shaken After Near Miss with Marshals at Mexico GP
Mexico City – Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson narrowly avoided what could have been a catastrophic accident at the Mexico Grand Prix, held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The incident occurred early in the race when two track marshals were spotted running across the track in Turn 1, prompting a fierce reaction from the young driver.
Lawson, who had already experienced a chaotic start to the race, having made contact with Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto on the opening lap. This collision resulted in damage to his front wing, forcing him to pit for repairs. It was upon rejoining the race on lap two that Lawson encountered the marshals, who were attempting to clear debris from the track.
Onboard footage captured the heart-stopping moment as the marshals darted across the tarmac, with Lawson reacting quickly to avoid a collision. Visibly shaken, Lawson immediately took to the team radio to express his disbelief and concern. "Wait, the f---? Oh my God, are you kidding me? Did you just see that?" he exclaimed. "I could've f---ing killed him mate," Lawson added.
Speaking to the media after the race, Lawson recounted the frightening experience, emphasizing the inherent danger of the situation. "I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing," Lawson stated. "Boxed [pitted], came out on a new set of hards [tyres], and then I got to turn one and there were just two dudes running across the track. I nearly hit one of them. Honestly, it was so dangerous".
Lawson further expressed his bewilderment at the circumstances that led to the marshals being on the track in such a manner. "Obviously, there's been a miscommunication somewhere, but I've never experienced that before, and I haven't really seen that in the past," Lawson said. "It's pretty unacceptable". His race engineer praised Lawson for successfully avoiding the marshals.
The incident occurred while a yellow flag was briefly waved at Turn 1 of the circuit. Lawson ultimately retired from the race a few laps later, marking his fifth non-finish of the season. Besides Lawson, Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso also did not finish the race.
The near miss has sparked debate about safety protocols and communication between race control and trackside personnel. It remains to be seen whether the FIA will launch an investigation into the incident to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
