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Lawson apologised to Verstappen for clash: “Right now it’s not the best time” | Formula 1

Liam Lawson took the unusual step of personally apologizing to Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen following their collision during second practice, which resulted in identical penalties for both drivers. Lawson acknowledged the incident was avoidable and emphasized the timing was particularly difficult, given his uncertain future with the Racing Bulls program after failing to secure a contract for next season.

Verstappen had previously hinted at the pressure Lawson faces, calling the behavior 'not very smart' when fighting for a seat. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner (referred to as Laurent Mekies in the source) clarified that the senior team would not influence Racing Bulls’ driver selection, insisting the junior squad’s decisions remain independent.

He also dismissed the idea that Verstappen could sway the younger team’s choices, noting the Dutch driver’s deep motorsport experience would prevent such influence from a single incident.

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