Helmut Marko Not Impressed as Lawson’s Middle Finger Incident Rocks Red Bull

Alex Harrington | 10 Hours Ago

Oct 18, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team driver Liam Lawson (30) of Team New Zealand walks through the track entrance before practice for the 2024 US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The weekend of the Mexico City Grand Prix was marred by an incident that saw promising Red Bull driver Liam Lawson make a small blunder. During the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Lawson made a provocative gesture towards Red Bull's Sergio Perez, sparking widespread criticism.

The incident unfolded in Lawson’s second Grand Prix since stepping in for Daniel Ricciardo at RB, the Red Bull-owned team. During the race, a series of tense exchanges between Lawson and Perez, which began at Turn 4, culminated with a collision at Turn 5. The clash saw both drivers running wide into the corner before colliding again as Lawson rejoined the track. Frustrated by the sequence of events, Lawson’s middle finger gesture directed at the Mexican driver was captured on camera, leading to immediate reactions.

Sergio Perez did not hold back his criticism, labeling Lawson an “idiot” over the team radio and questioning his attitude and suitability for Formula 1. "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, you know. When two-time world champion was saying things last weekend, he completely ignored him.," Perez told the press after the incident.

"It's like when you come to Formula 1, you're obviously very hungry and so on, but you have to be as well respectful off-track and on-track. I don't think he's showing the right attitude to show a good pace for himself, because I think he's a great driver and I hope for him that he can step back and learn from it."

Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, was not impressed by Lawson's behavior, denouncing the collision and subsequent gesture as unnecessary.

Lawson, in turn, issued an apology for his actions.

“It’s not something I should have done. It’s something I’ll learn from but at the same time we are competing at a high level and when you have that much adrenaline, it’s crazy," Lawson explained. “It was something I learnt from but obviously when you are in F1 the spotlight is on you and maybe I didn’t realise how much people can see. You’ve got to be careful.”

Discussion about Lawson's behavior also involved his family, particularly his father, whose response was less than favorable: “They weren’t impressed,” he admitted. “[I’m] very fortunate to have someone like my dad who has played a massive role in, obviously, raising me as a man, but also as a driver, growing up and trying to be professional in the sport.

“He’s kept me very grounded, I would say, and that’s been something that he’s done since I was a kid. So, you know, he wasn’t impressed with that and I completely understand why.

"And obviously, as I said, it’s not something I should have done, and I’ll learn from [it].”

He admitted: “My dad told me off, as my dad has done many times over the years."