FIA release Liam Lawson statement after finger of blame pointed by Mexican authority

The FIA’s investigation into the scary incident involving Liam Lawson and track marshals in last weekend’s race isn’t yet over, but the governing body has issued a further statement addressing the moment of danger.

Lawson had pitted for a new front wing early in the Mexico City Grand Prix, following a clash with Williams’ Carlos Sainz and, upon resuming the track, was fortunate to avoid colliding with two marshals on track picking up debris from the incident.

FIA issues new statement following Liam Lawson incident

Exiting the pits and approaching Turn 1, Lawson encountered marshals cleaning up debris from the racing line, forcing him to take avoiding action in order to prevent a catastrophic event.

Taking to team radio, Lawson said, “I could have f***ing killed them!” and, upon retiring from the race shortly after, opined that a miscommunication must have been to blame for the sequence of events that led to such a dangerous situation.

“I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” he told media, including PlanetF1.com.

“I boxed, came out on a new set of Hards, and then I got to Turn 1 and there were two dudes running across the track.

“I nearly hit one of them. It was so dangerous. There’s been a miscommunication somewhere. I’ve never experienced that before and I’ve never really seen that in the past, so pretty unacceptable.

“We can’t understand how, on a live track, marshals can be allowed to just run across the track like that.

“So, yeah, I mean, I have no idea why, but I’m sure we’ll get some explanation, but it really can’t happen again.”

The FIA confirmed that evening that a full investigation into the incident is being carried out, having revealed that a call to send marshals on track to retrieve the debris had been rescinded when Lawson dived into the pits for repairs.

That investigation is not yet concluded.

Earlier this week, the Mexican national sporting authority (ASN), known as OMDAI, released an unofficial explanation of the incident, which appeared to point the finger of blame at Lawson for his part in the incident.

OMDAI pointed out that, “It should be noted that the Racing Bulls team informed the driver that there was debris on the track and that this section was under a double yellow flag, so that he should take extreme precautions when driving through the area.

“Therefore, at that moment, the driver had to significantly reduce his speed, refrain from overtaking, and be prepared to stop if necessary, in compliance with current safety regulations.

“When analysing the sequence from the camera on board the car, it can be seen that driver Liam Lawson, as he approaches Turn 1, begins to turn to take the racing line, at which point the presence of the track marshals is clearly visible as they carry out their intervention procedures to collect the pieces that had been left behind as a result of the previous contact.

“The proximity of the car to the work area shows that the track marshals were still active within the risky area, performing cleaning and safety tasks on the circuit.

“The images clearly show that driver Liam Lawson maintains the steering wheel angle of his car when taking Turn 1, without changing his trajectory, even though the track marshals were crossing the track to return to their post. This action occurs while personnel were still working in the area, which shows that the driver did not interrupt his line despite the obvious presence of marshals on the track.”

PlanetF1.com understands that, while the intent of this explanation may have been honourable, it does not reflect the official position of the FIA and that the statement released by the ASN

FIA defend Liam Lawson in updated statement

The latest statement from the FIA confirms that work is underway with OMDAI to understand the sequence of events at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez that led to the unpalatable situation of marshals being in a dangerous situation, but leapt to the defence of Lawson following the statement from OMDAI.

“Whilst the investigation remains ongoing, we acknowledge that any situation where marshals find themselves on track in front of oncoming cars is something we never want to see, and hence it is natural that such an incident will provoke concern and numerous comments,” he said.

“It is fortunate this incident did not result in any serious consequences, but we are conducting an internal investigation to understand exactly what happened and to identify any areas where procedures can be improved.

“We are collaborating openly and transparently for this purpose with the OMDAI (Mexican Automobile Club) and with Racing Bulls Formula One Team, with the ultimate objective to achieve our common aim, which is to always improve the safety of our Sport.

“As with all serious incidents, the full analysis will take some time, as it involves collecting and reviewing all relevant evidence, including radio communications in multiple languages from the various parties involved, and synchronising all of these diverse inputs.

“The findings will be shared once the review is complete.

“Having analysed the telemetry from the incident, we can confirm that the driver of Car #30, Liam Lawson, slowed appropriately and reacted correctly to the double yellow flags displayed in the area, braking earlier than in other laps and passing significantly slower than racing speed into Turn 1. He is not at fault in this incident.

“Finally, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the volunteers and marshals for their professionalism and dedication — without them, our sport could not operate safely.”

Aside from getting on top of the chain of events which led to the incident, the FIA is also thought to be discussing the issue of crowd brawling in the grandstands, with several such incidents posted to social media during the course of the weekend.

Read Next: Martin Brundle recalls hitting marshal as ‘crazy’ Lawson situation slammed