Max Verstappen has refused to back down on his criticism of Liam Lawson following their on-track argument during second practice for the Mexico Grand Prix.
Verstappen and Lawson both faced the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez stewards after the session and handed themselves a one-place grid penalty for a collision described as “unacceptable”.
Both drivers suffered damage to their cars, with four-time F1 champion Verstappen losing a piece of his RB22’s dashboard, while Lawson suffered damage to the front wing of his Racing Bulls as they gathered in the stadium complex after racing wheel to wheel in the build-up.
Immediately after the incident, Verstappen lashed out at Lawson, pointing an accusing finger, saying: “For me it’s just not very intelligent behavior.”
Talk to Viaplay After the final practice session, Verstappen still felt disappointed by the New Zealander, even though both were deemed at fault by the stewards.
“Look, you’re fighting for your seat, so you definitely shouldn’t be fighting with me,” Verstappen said.
“I have always supported him. I get along very well with him and have always spoken very positively about him within the team.”
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Verstappen to Lawson – ‘Think logically’
Referring to what happened to Lawson last year when he was demoted to Racing Bulls after just two grands prix as Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull, Verstappen added: “Of course it sucked for him last year.
“I think it’s really unfortunate when something like this happens. I’m really not a difficult person.
“When I put on my helmet, I always try to get the most out of it, but not in training
“I’m not going to let anyone push me off the track. That doesn’t happen to me.”
Verstappen says he learned important lessons at Red Bull that drivers at the ‘sister’ team should also take into account.
“When you’re in the same family, you’re always taught that you have to have a lot of respect for the A team,” he said.
“I didn’t do that at Toro Rosso (what Lawson did). You don’t drive Red Bull drivers off the track; you just don’t do that.”
Offering advice to Lawson, he concluded: “Just think logically about the situation you find yourself in. »
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