Liam Lawson “Could Have Killed Them” Following Near-Miss with Marshals in Mexico City Grand Prix

Liam Lawson says he narrowly avoided a potentially fatal accident during Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix, after two track marshals ran across the circuit directly in front of him during the opening laps of the race.

The frightening incident occurred on lap three, shortly after the Racing Bulls driver had pitted to replace a damaged front wing. As Lawson rejoined the track on fresh hard tyres, two marshals were seen sprinting across the circuit near Turn 1, apparently attempting to clear debris from an earlier collision.

Visibly shaken, Lawson immediately reported the incident over team radio:

“Are you kidding me? Did you just see that? I could have… killed them.”

“It Was So Dangerous”

Speaking after the race, the New Zealander said he was stunned by what he witnessed.

“I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” Lawson told reporters. “I came out on a new set of hards, and then I got to Turn 1 and there were just two dudes running across the track. I nearly hit one of them honestly, it was so dangerous.”

Lawson added that the situation was “unacceptable” and urged Formula 1’s governing body to ensure it never happens again.

“Obviously there’s been a miscommunication somewhere, but I’ve never experienced that before, and I haven’t really seen that in the past. We can’t understand how, on a live track, marshals can be allowed to just run across like that. I’m sure we’ll get some sort of explanation, but it really can’t happen again.”

FIA Launches Investigation

The FIA has confirmed an investigation is underway to determine how the marshals ended up on the circuit while cars were still at racing speed.

In a statement, the governing body said:

“Following a Turn 1 incident, race control was informed that debris was present on the track at the apex of that corner. On lap three, marshals were alerted and placed on standby to enter the track and recover the debris once all cars had passed.

“As soon as it became apparent that Lawson had pitted, the instructions to dispatch marshals were rescinded and a double yellow flag was shown in that area. We are still investigating what occurred after that point.”

The FIA is expected to review communication protocols between race control and local marshals to prevent a repeat of the near-miss, which could have had catastrophic consequences.

Lawson, who finished outside the points, said he was “just thankful” the situation didn’t end in tragedy.

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