F1: Liam Lawson unapologetic for aggressive driving vs Sergio Perez

FILE–Red Bull Racing’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez (L) and RB’s New Zealander driver Liam Lawson pose for a picture at the Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack, in Mexico City on October 24, 2024, ahead of the upcoming F1 Mexico City Grand Prix next October 27. (Photo by YURI CORTEZ / AFP)

The battle between Formula 1 drivers Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez has continued from the track into a war of words following last Sunday’s Mexico Grand Prix.

Adding to the drama, Perez drives for Red Bull Racing, and Lawson has just two races under his belt since his promotion as a full-time member to the sister team, RB.

Lawson, 22, of New Zealand, apologized for showing Perez — in his home event in Mexico — his middle finger while passing him during the race, but not for an earlier collision on Lap 19 at Turn 4 that damaged Perez’s car.

READ: F1: Daniel Ricciardo fired by Red Bull, replaced by Liam Lawson

Perez, 34, thought Lawson was too aggressive, and so did Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko, who called it an unnecessary collision with Lawson more to blame for not giving Perez enough space through the turn.

“I had the maneuver into Turn 4 and then he was outside the track and just came straight like if there was no car,” Perez said. “I think he could have avoided the incident, but he just went back. Luckily, I saw him and I opened the room, otherwise it would have been a massive crash. There was no need. We damaged both of our races. It was a little bit too much.”

Lawson disagreed, explaining that’s just his style of driving.

“My attitude towards racing and how I approach races in Formula 1 won’t change, that’s how I’ll always be,” he said. “But at the same time, there’s things in there, if I make mistakes, I’ll always learn from them, and clearly in Mexico I made a mistake, and I’ll learn from it.”

READ: F1: Red Bull boss blames Carlos Sainz for crash with Sergio Perez

Lawson apologized for the hand gesture, which he described as “one of those in-the-moment things.”

“(Perez) spent half the lap blocking me, trying to ruin my race, so I was upset,” Lawson said. “But it’s not an excuse. I shouldn’t have done it, and I apologize for that.”

Lawson, a reserve driver with RB since 2022, replaced veteran driver Daniel Ricciardo in September and made his Grand Prix debut at the U.S. Grand Prix on Oct. 20 in Austin, Texas. Lawson said he’s open to taking advice and not looking to make enemies.

“… That’s not the goal, obviously,” Lawson said, “but at the same time, I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to win.”

Lawson finished 16th, one spot ahead of Perez on Sunday.

“I don’t have any relationship with him,” Perez said after the race. “I think the way he has come to Formula 1, I don’t think he has the right attitude for it. He needs to be a bit more humble.”

Perez said a new driver to F1 is “obviously very hungry” but also must be respectful on and off the track, which he believes Lawson has been lacking.

“I think he’s a great driver and I hope for him that he can step back and learn from it,” Perez said. “In his first two grands prix, he has had many incidents. I think there will be a point where it can cost him too much, like it did this weekend.

“I just think that he has to have the right attitude to say: ‘Look, probably I’m overdoing it a little bit, I will step back and start again.’ Because if you don’t learn from your mistakes, Formula 1 is a brutal world and he might not continue.” –Field Level Media