MEXICO CITY: Max Verstappen criticised his Red Bull stablemate Liam Lawson as “not very smart” after the pair clashed during a heated battle in Friday’s second practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets ahead of world champion Lando Norris of McLaren in an eventful session, with Kimi Antonelli finishing fourth as he closes in on the title. Meanwhile, Red Bull’s four-time champion became embroiled in an incident that left his car with damaged bodywork.
Verstappen tangled with Racing Bulls’ Lawson as they fought for track position approaching the Foro Sol section. Afterwards, the Dutchman blamed the New Zealander for the incident.
Debris from the minor collision prompted a red flag while marshals cleared the track.
“It was not unlucky,” Verstappen said. “It was not very smart behaviour by him in what he was trying to do there. But it is not going to change my weekend.
“I think it is just not very smart behaviour when you are fighting for your seat…”
Lawson admitted this week that he was uncertain whether he would retain his place with Racing Bulls next season. The team, a sister outfit to Red Bull, is regarded as a “feeder” team, despite Lawson enjoying an impressive season that included three races for Red Bull when Isack Hadjar was sidelined through injury.
Racing Bulls could promote Red Bull junior driver Nikola Tsolov, who on Friday became the first Bulgarian driver to take part in an official Grand Prix practice session when he drove in FP1.
Lawson has impressed throughout the year and comprehensively outperformed rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad.
On Thursday, Lawson told reporters that finding consistency in Formula One was difficult, but said he believed he had “maximised a lot this year”.
“I’m not really sure what more is expected, but I’m not really sitting here thinking too much about the whole seat selection thing.
“I overthought things last year so I’m trying a different mindset this year to score as many points as I can.”
Lawson is ninth in the drivers’ championship with 77 points, while team-mate Lindblad is 11th on 38. Lawson’s performances have helped lift Racing Bulls to fifth in the constructors’ championship, behind the leading four teams of Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren.
Lawson finished ninth in Friday’s FP2, while Verstappen was fifth behind Mercedes’ George Russell and 20-year-old Italian Antonelli, who is poised to become the sport’s youngest champion on Sunday if he finishes in the top nine.
Verstappen, a five-time winner in Mexico, admitted: “It could have gone better, but we’re not too far off and just have some fine tuning to do. No one has much grip here but it is the same for us all and nothing new.”
