'I could have killed them': Lawson slams FIA after near-fatal incident in Mexico
Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson expressed shock and anger after narrowly avoiding a catastrophic accident with two marshals who ran onto the live track in front of him during the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Racing Bulls driver was rejoining the circuit after a pitstop when the incident occurred, leading to an immediate investigation by the FIA into the "pretty unacceptable" safety lapse.
The high-stakes action of the Mexico City Grand Prix was marred by a terrifying safety breach that saw Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson confront a potentially fatal accident. The incident occurred on Lap 3 when two marshals ran onto the live circuit directly into Lawson's path as he rejoined the race after pitting to replace a damaged front wing.
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Lawson’s immediate reaction over the team radio captured the severity of the scare: "Are you kidding me? Did you just see that? I could have... killed them."
'So dangerous'
Speaking after the race, the Racing Bulls driver expressed disbelief and frustration at the breakdown in safety protocol.
"I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing," Lawson stated. "[I] 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 was adamant that such a lapse was unacceptable in the world's premier motorsport: "Obviously there's been a miscommunication somewhere but I've never experienced that before, and I haven't really seen that in the past. It's pretty unacceptable."
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FIA launches investigation
The governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), confirmed it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the near-miss. The FIA explained that marshals were initially put on standby to clear debris at Turn 1.
"As soon as it became apparent that Lawson had pitted, the instructions to dispatch marshals were rescinded and a double yellow flag was shown in that area," the FIA said in a statement. "We are still investigating what occurred after that point."
Despite the FIA’s explanation of the rescinded instructions, Lawson stressed that the risk was real and should never be repeated: "We can't understand how on a live track marshals can be allowed to just run across the track like that... it really can't happen again."
