Sainz Criticises Lawson’s “Approach” After Dutch GP Clash: “He Always Seems to Prefer Contact”

Carlos Sainz has voiced frustration with Liam Lawson’s racing style after the duo clashed during the Dutch Grand Prix, forcing both drivers into unscheduled pit stops with punctures.

The incident occurred on lap 27, just after a safety car restart. Sainz attempted a move around the outside of Turn 1, but as the pair exited the corner, Lawson moved across to defend, resulting in contact between Sainz’s front wing and the Williams driver’s left-rear tyre.

Although the stewards deemed Sainz responsible and handed him a 10-second penalty, the Williams driver insisted Lawson’s actions contributed heavily to the collision.

“It’s quite clear, in how many examples we’ve seen in Turn 1, of two cars racing side by side without contact,” Sainz told media. “It’s a corner that allows two cars to race each other without having any unnecessary contact. But with Liam, it always seems to be very difficult to make that happen. He always seems to prefer to have a bit of contact and risk a DNF or a puncture, like we did, than to actually accept having two cars side by side, which hopefully will come with more experience.”

Sainz’s anger was clear over team radio at the time, branding Lawson “so stupid” and referencing earlier clashes involving the Kiwi, including one with Alex Albon at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Explaining his perspective, Sainz said: “I wasn’t even really trying to race Liam that hard. I had a gap around the outside, and so I thought I’d start getting him a bit out of position for Turn 2, Turn 3. I wasn’t trying to pass him around the outside. I was just trying to have a side-by-side with him to then get a better line. And then suddenly I have a contact which caught me completely off guard and by surprise.”

Offering advice to the Williams driver, Sainz added: “You need to pick your battles, and Liam, in his first years now, has decided to have this approach. It’s something I’ll keep in mind. It’s the story of my season so far – again, it was a race where I could have finished P5, where Alex did, 10 points, but for something that I still cannot understand, that’s out of our hands.”

The clash adds another layer of tension to what has already been a challenging season for Sainz, who has repeatedly seen strong results slip away through incidents and misfortune.

From F1 news to tech, history to opinions, F1 Chronicle has a free Substack. To deliver the stories you want straight to your inbox, click here.

New to Formula 1? Check out our Glossary of F1 Terms, and our Beginners Guide to Formula 1 to fast-track your F1 knowledge.