Former F1 team boss Guenther Steiner has suggested that Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson finds himself in too many incidents.
Lawson had to retire from the Miami Grand Prix over the weekend because of a gearbox issue. The mechanical problem also played a part in an accident with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
The New Zealander lost drive as Gasly attacked him around the outside at the final corner, resulting in a collision that flipped the Alpine onto the barriers. Neither driver was hurt, and stewards decided not to penalise Lawson after looking into it, noting the circumstances were out of his control.
Guenther Steiner questions how often Liam Lawson avoids trouble
Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, Steiner admitted that there wasn’t much Lawson could do in this particular case, saying it was just “bad luck”.
When one of the hosts asked, ‘Why is it always him?’, the former Haas boss responded: “I was thinking the same. At some stage, when something happens, you shouldn’t be involved in it!”
Earlier in the race, Lawson had also come under scrutiny for an incident with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The two went off track while battling for position at turn 11, and despite both drivers leaving the circuit, Racing Bulls instructed Lawson to give up the spot.
This year’s Miami race marked his first DNF of 2026. Last season he retired five times, with four of those due to damage.
Pundits have been quick to point out a pattern. Christijan Albers remarked: “There is always something going on with Lawson.”
Where Liam Lawson stands with penalty points
Liam Lawson has three penalty points so far this season, placing him joint-sixth among the 22 drivers. That’s a quarter of the way to a race ban, but it’s not something he needs to worry about just yet.
Oliver Bearman leads the list with 10 penalty points, followed by Lance Stroll on six and championship leader Kimi Antonelli on five. Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz are both sitting on four.
After the Gasly crash, Martin Brundle came to Lawson’s defence, pointing out that the visual impact of the Alpine flipping made it seem worse than it really was.
Lawson also received backing from David Coulthard for how he raced Verstappen. Despite their team connections, Coulthard highlighted that Lawson is ‘fighting for his career’ and appreciated his aggressive approach given the circumstances.
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