Liam Lawson Cleared Of Wrongdoing As FIA Provides Investigation Update

Lawson had been blamed by the Mexican motorsport federation over last weekend's incident.
Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

The FIA has cleared Liam Lawson of blame in a scary incident at Formula 1's Mexico City Grand Prix after a bizarre accusation from its Mexican member federation.

Lawson rejoined the race from the pits after early repairs by his Racing Bulls team at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez only to find two marshals on the racing line at Turns 1 and 2.

The Kiwi claimed at the time that he could have "killed" the marshals, who ironically were picking up debris that included his own front wing after a first lap skirmish. The sport's governing body later opened up an investigation.

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Providing an update on that investigation, an FIA spokesperson said: "Whilst the investigation remains ongoing, we acknowledge that any situation where marshals find themselves on track in front of oncoming cars is something we never want to see, and hence it is natural that such an incident will provoke concern and numerous comments.

"It is fortunate this incident did not result in any serious consequences, but we are conducting an internal investigation to understand exactly what happened and to identify any areas where procedures can be improved.

"We are collaborating openly and transparently for this purpose with the OMDAI (Mexican Automobile Club) and with Racing Bulls Formula 1 Team, with the ultimate objective to achieve our common aim, which is to always improve the safety of our Sport.

"As with all serious incidents, 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 synchronising all of these diverse inputs. The findings will be shared once the review is complete.

The Organizacion Mexicana de Automovilismo Internacional [OMDAI] came out and pointed the blame squarely at Lawson in a bizarre statement, suggesting not enough care was taken by the driver to ensure the marshals were safe from harm.

But countering this claim, the FIA added: "Having analysed the telemetry from the incident, we can confirm that the driver of Car #30, Liam Lawson, slowed appropriately and reacted correctly to the double yellow flags displayed in the area, braking earlier than in other laps and passing significantly slower than racing speed into Turn 1.

"He is not at fault in this incident.

"Finally, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the volunteers and marshals for their professionalism and dedication — without them, our sport could not operate safely."

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Ewan Gale
EWAN GALE

Ewan is a motorsport journalist covering F1 for Grand Prix On SI. Having been educated at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix, and subsequently graduating from university with a sports journalism degree, Ewan made a move into F1 in 2021. Ewan joins after a stint with Autosport as an editor, having written for a number of outlets including RacingNews365 and GPFans, during which time he has covered grand prix and car launches as an accredited member of the media.

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