Liam Lawson tangled with then-Red Bull driver Sergio Perez at last year’s Mexico City Grand Prix. He made himself the enemy of the home crowd by doing so.
There was additional tension when the two drivers went to wheel-to-wheel because Perez knew Lawson was a threat to his future. Red Bull had brought the New Zealander back in at the junior team so he could audition for the seat alongside Max Verstappen.
Perez suffered a disastrous qualifying in front of his adoring fans, exiting Q1 in 18th place. He encountered Lawson in his attempted comeback drive and looked to make a move on the inside at turn four.
The late move squeezed Lawson wide, but he refused to yield and touched the side of Perez’s car when he rejoined the track. The veteran driver called the newcomer an ‘idiot’ over the radio.
With the damage spoiling his race, Perez ultimately finished 17th. Lawson, who crossed the line one place ahead, showed him the middle finger as he passed him later in the Grand Prix.
Come December, Red Bull reached an agreement to end Perez’s contract. Lawson was chosen as his replacement, beating teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Liam Lawson shares how his dad and Christian Horner reacted to Sergio Perez middle finger incident
Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Lawson reflected on the fallout from the incident. He was rebuked by his father, who called him to remind him of a similar transgression when he was a child.
Lawson also spoke to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who warned him that it could ‘never happen again’. He admits the contact was ‘unnecessary’ and says he apologised.
He also drew the ire of Fernando Alonso at the United States Grand Prix after a fierce battle in the Sprint. But Lawson insists he isn’t a hot-headed driver, something he’ll look to prove in his first full season.
“My dad called me after the race and he said ‘for god sake Liam, that’s the second time you’ve done that’. He reminded me of a time when I was 12 and I must have done it to somebody back in New Zealand when I was racing and I got called to the stewards for it,” Lawson said.
“For me, it’s out of character. It’s not something that you’ll see me do again, that’s for sure.
“[Horner] felt it was important to make it clear to me that it’s something that can never happen again. The incident didn’t need to happen as well.
“They lost points because of the incident. Regardless of whose fault it was, it was unnecessary. It didn’t need to happen between us. That’s what was made clear to me. I realised, and I apologised.”
Liam Lawson’s ‘face dropped’ when he realised one thing about the Australian Grand Prix
Nico Rosberg believes Lawson can be the surprise of the season after his promotion. He only has 11 races of experience, so naturally expectations are limited.
What’s more, he’s going up against Verstappen, an infamous teammate destroyer. Perez and Alex Albon both dropped off the grid after being thrashed by the Dutchman, while Pierre Gasly looks unlikely to race for a top team ever again.
Lawson has repeatedly pointed out that he hasn’t raced at many of the early tracks on the calendar. As such, he should only be judged at more familiar venues.
According to one journalist, Lawson’s ‘face dropped’ at the F1 75 event when he realised he was the only driver yet to experience Albert Park, the venue for the season opener. It was a stop on the F2 calendar last year, but not in his day.
