The FIA has denied claims from its Mexican body that Liam Lawson was to blame for his near-miss with marshals during the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix weekend.
On lap three during last Sunday’s contest, the Racing Bulls driver encountered two marshals on the track near Turn 3 after they were ordered to collect debris following a messy race start.
But the order was rescinded once it emerged that Lawson had pitted for a new front wing following contact with Williams driver Carlos Sainz, meaning there was no longer a big enough gap for marshals to safely recover the debris.
The FIA is therefore conducting an investigation as to why they were still out on track, and OMDAI Sport Mexico released a statement on Wednesday giving blame to Lawson.
It claimed the 23-year-old did not sufficiently slow down under the double yellow flag, waved due to the presence of the marshals, and that Lawson should have seen them.
The FIA has since denied this though, as F1’s governing body released a statement on Friday saying: “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.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing, Carlos Sainz, Williams
Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 via Getty Images
“He is not at fault in this incident. 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.”
It also provided an update on its investigation into the matter, one which was not investigated by stewards during the race, saying that it will not rush to a conclusion.
“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,” said the FIA.
“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 1 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.”
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team
Photo by: James Sutton / LAT Images via Getty Images
Lawson was asked about the incident on Sunday at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, saying: “I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“I got to Turn 1 and there were two dudes just running across the track. And I nearly hit one of them. Honestly, it was so dangerous.
“Obviously, there’s been a miscommunication somewhere, but I’ve never experienced that before, I’ve only seen that in the past. It’s pretty unacceptable.
“We obviously can’t understand how, on a live track, marshals can be allowed to just run across the track like that. I have no idea why, but I’m sure we’ll get some explanation.”
Additional reporting by Filip Cleeren
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