Liam Lawson, the Racing Bulls driver from New Zealand, explained the incident involving Pierre Gasly during the Miami Grand Prix, after a dramatic collision that resulted in the Alpine driver’s car flipping over following contact between the two cars.
The Racing Bulls team ended a race without scoring points for the first time in the early part of the 2026 Formula 1 season. It was a particularly difficult weekend for the Faenza-based squad on the Miami street circuit, where the key incident occurred on lap 6 involving Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly. In an attempt to overtake around the outside, Liam Lawson made contact with the left rear wheel of Gasly’s Alpine, causing the French driver’s car to flip before coming to a stop against the barriers.
The accident immediately raised concerns about Pierre Gasly’s condition, although the French driver was able to exit the car without any injuries. The collision, however, forced Liam Lawson to retire from the race, ending what had already been a complicated Grand Prix for Racing Bulls.
“It was a difficult weekend here in Miami,” said Liam Lawson. “We had a gearbox issue, something that had never happened before, and that caused me to lose control of the car and eventually I hit Pierre. The collision ended his race and the issue forced our retirement, which is obviously frustrating. I went straight to Pierre after the race to apologise and I’m glad he’s okay, which is the most important thing. We had made a very good start and gained a lot of positions, so it is a shame that the race ended like this. We will use the next two weeks to regroup and take what we have learned into Canada, a track that I really like.”
Despite the early setback in the race, Racing Bulls had shown encouraging pace in the opening stages before the incident, with Lawson and the team both looking competitive in the midfield battle. However, the combination of technical issues and the collision ultimately ended any chance of a points finish.
First stint struggle for Lindblad
Starting from 14th on the grid, the race also proved challenging for Arvid Lindblad, who detailed what went wrong during his 57 laps, eventually finishing in 16th place.
“I knew it was going to be a difficult race, given the limited running we had this weekend,” said Arvid Lindblad. “I struggled in the first stint, the pace on the medium tyres was not strong enough and I had very little grip. As soon as I switched to the hard tyres, I felt much more comfortable, the car was easier to drive and the pace improved significantly.”
“We will carefully analyse everything that happened this weekend. I will keep working on my side and keep learning. The team did a very good job this weekend, getting the most out of some difficult situations. Overall, I am really enjoying driving the car and I am looking forward to tackling another new circuit.”
This challenging weekend in Miami reveals the narrow margins in the 2026 midfield, where a single mechanical failure can alter the course of an entire race. While Racing Bulls faces a period of analysis to address the unexpected gearbox issues, the resilience shown by their driver lineup suggests they remain poised to reclaim their point-scoring form in the upcoming rounds.
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