Liam Lawson narrowly escaped disaster at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday after coming within yards of colliding with two race marshals who had ventured onto the live circuit to clear debris.
The near miss sparked outrage from the New Zealander, who described the incident as “unacceptable” and “incredibly dangerous,” leaving Formula One officials facing urgent questions about track safety.
Lawson, 23, had already endured a frustrating weekend after a first-lap collision with Alex Albon forced him to pit for a new front wing.
The incident dropped him to the back of the field, and it was as he rejoined the race that the terrifying moment unfolded.
Approaching Turn One, Lawson suddenly found two marshals sprinting across the tarmac directly in front of him while cars were still circulating under yellow flag conditions.
His immediate reaction over team radio captured the shock and fury of the moment.
“Wait, the f***? Oh my God, are you kidding me? Did you just see that?” he shouted.
Lando Norris now leads the F1 standings with four races to go
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Liam Lawson was left shaken following the incident at the Mexican Grand Prix
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Moments later, still shaken, he added: “I could’ve f***ing killed him, mate.”
Speaking after the race, the Red Bull junior was still struggling to process what had happened.
“I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” Lawson said. “I boxed, came out on a new set of hards, and then I got to Turn One and there were just two dudes running across the track.
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“I nearly hit one of them, honestly, it was so dangerous. Obviously there’s been a miscommunication somewhere, but I’ve never experienced that before.
“It’s pretty unacceptable. We can’t understand how, on a live track, marshals can be allowed to just run across like that. I’m sure we’ll get some sort of explanation, but it really can’t happen again.”
The FIA, which governs Formula One, later issued a statement confirming that an investigation was under way.
“Following a Turn 1 incident, Race Control was informed that debris was present on the track at the apex of that corner,” the statement read.
“On lap three, marshals were alerted and placed on standby to enter the track and recover the debris once all cars had passed Turn 1.
“As soon as it became apparent that Lawson had pitted, the instructions to dispatch marshals were rescinded, and a double yellow flag was shown in that area. We are still investigating what occurred after that point.”
The next F1 race will be in Brazil
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The incident evoked uncomfortable memories of past Formula One tragedies involving track personnel, underlining the ever-present risks of high-speed racing when communication lapses occur.
The governing body’s report is expected before the next race in Brazil, with teams demanding clarity on how the marshals were allowed onto the circuit.
Lawson’s race ended early after the earlier collision damage proved too severe to continue, while the day belonged to Lando Norris, who claimed victory in commanding fashion.
Lando Norris secured victory at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday night
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The Briton’s triumph moved him one point clear of team-mate Oscar Piastri at the top of the drivers’ standings, with Max Verstappen trailing by 35 points.
Norris, who faced boos from sections of the crowd, brushed off the hostility with calm determination.
“It’s one weekend at a time,” he said. “I’m happy, I’m focused on myself, I keep my head down and ignore all of this. It’s working at the minute, so I’m happy. What a race. A good start, a good launch and a good first lap, and I could go from there."