Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson collided during the second free practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, igniting unprecedented tension within the Red Bull family. The incident unfolded in the notoriously tight and technical ‘Foro Sol’ section, a slow-speed stadium complex that snakes through the baseball stadium before the main straight.

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Verstappen, on a flying lap, approached Lawson’s Racing Bulls car from behind, only to be met with unexpected resistance as Lawson, on a warm-up lap, inexplicably refused to yield.

Red flag after the crash

The two cars narrowly avoided contact initially through the ‘S’ curve, but soon clashed exiting the stadium area. Verstappen, visibly annoyed at being forced off the racing line, fought back against Lawson’s aggressive positioning, escalating the situation into a tangible crash.

The impact scattered debris across the narrow track, forcing race control to deploy a red flag and halt the session temporarily to clear the hazard.

Angry words on the radio

Tensions spilled over onto the team radios, exposing fractured relations between the two drivers. Verstappen’s frustration was evident as he repeatedly swore at Lawson over the radio while making dismissive hand gestures trackside.

Conversely, Lawson fired back on the radio, accusing the four-time world champion of recklessness: “He came into me! He literally came into me, like every weekend,” the New Zealander complained, highlighting ongoing friction between the pair.

Questions for Red Bull and Racing Bulls

This explosive clash marks a rare public dispute within the Red Bull camp, raising questions about team discipline and internal dynamics ahead of the crucial race weekend. The management of Red Bull and Racing Bulls now faces the delicate task of resolving these tensions before they escalate further on track or in the championship battle.

The fallout from this internal collision will be closely monitored as Mexico unfolds, with all eyes on how Verstappen and Lawson can mend fences amid the high-stakes environment of Formula 1. Read our Mexico City FP2 report for the session results.