F1 | Dutch GP – Liam Lawson reacts to incident with Carlos Sainz: “It sucks, but the rules are the rules”. Liam Lawson explains the Dutch GP incident with Carlos Sainz.

F1 | Liam Lawson explains the Dutch GP incident with Carlos Sainz

Liam Lawson defended himself from criticism following the incident with Carlos Sainz at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Zandvoort race saw multiple accidents that required the deployment of the safety car, with three restarts in just 72 laps.

On the 27th lap, during one of these restarts, Lawson and Sainz made contact, which proved costly for both drivers. The collision occurred at Turn 1 while the Williams driver tried to overtake the New Zealander. Ultimately, the FIA decided to penalize Sainz with a 10-second time penalty, siding with Lawson.

The 23-year-old finished the race ahead of Sainz, in 12th and 13th place respectively. Naturally, the Spanish driver protested strongly, but the FIA did not appear open to further discussion. Lawson later addressed the incident, stating that “it sucks for both of us, and obviously it was not my intention.”

Lawson’s remarks on the incident

First, Lawson defended himself against criticism by referring directly to the regulations. He said: “I mean, it really sucks. It sucks for both of us, and obviously it wasn’t my intention. But it was the first lap of the restart, and we had very low grip going into Turn 1. The rules are written the way they are, and we all know how they are written.”

“Even if sometimes we don’t agree with them… I’ve had to deal with the regulations myself this year, and I didn’t agree. But it’s something… that’s just how the rules are,” added the New Zealander. “You know, because it was his corner, he was supposed to be ahead at the apex. He wasn’t even remotely close today. So that’s probably why he got a penalty, I guess.”

The result was particularly disappointing for Lawson because his teammate, Isack Hadjar, achieved his first F1 podium at the end of the Dutch GP. This showed that there was potential to score significant points for Lawson as well, had the contact not occurred.

“Yeah, it really sucks for me. But obviously for Isack [Hadjar], on the other side of the garage, getting a podium is really fantastic. It’s great for the team, it’s great for Isack. He’s done a really good job this year,” the 23-year-old commented.

He also admitted: “Of course, I would have liked both sides to have a strong result today, but that incident cost me a lot.”

Finally, he was asked what positive aspects he takes away from the weekend, aside from the incident with Sainz. “The car is fast. That’s what we will take forward,” the New Zealander concluded succinctly.