Near tragedy: FIA investigates Liam Lawson incident at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico. Liam Lawson narrowly avoided hitting track marshals during the 2025 Mexican GP.

The chaos at the start and FIA reconstruction

The 2025 Mexican Grand Prix experienced moments of sheer terror when Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls driver, nearly collided with two track marshals during the opening laps. The incident, which occurred after contact with Carlos Sainz in the first corner, prompted the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to release an official statement clarifying the sequence of events. The situation began with a collision between Lawson and Sainz, leaving debris on the track at the entry of turn 1. The race control, aware of the debris, ordered marshals to intervene once the pack had passed. However, this decision coincided with Lawson returning to the track after a pit stop for repairs, creating a dangerous intersection between the car and the track personnel.

A narrow escape

As the New Zealander approached the first corner, he received radio messages indicating only “double yellow flags” and “debris on track,” with no warning of the marshals’ presence. Traveling at reduced but still significant speed, Liam Lawson suddenly encountered two marshals and narrowly avoided them by just a few centimeters. “I can’t believe it! I could have killed someone!” he exclaimed over the radio immediately afterward. The incident, captured on camera, quickly went viral and raised serious questions about safety management during such critical phases. The FIA confirmed that marshals should not have been on track at that time and that instructions for their intervention had been canceled as soon as Lawson’s return from the pits was known. However, it remains unclear how miscommunication within the team led to such a hazardous situation.

Consequences for Lawson and team response

Shortly after the scare, Lawson’s race came to an end. The damage to his car from the contact with Carlos Sainz, particularly to the floor, was too severe to continue. “It was really frustrating. I had left space, but Carlos closed the line without looking,” Liam Lawson explained. The incident was classified as a “racing incident” with no penalties. Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane commented with regret: “Liam’s race was over before it even began, and it was a moment of pure shock.” Meanwhile, the FIA expressed the highest respect for the work of the Mexican marshals, praising their professionalism and emphasizing that volunteers are essential to the operation of any event. The investigation continues to determine how a routine debris management procedure nearly turned into a tragedy.