Formula 1 had another tense chapter involving Max Verstappen at the Miami GP. Liam Lawson revealed surprise when instructed to give back position to the Dutchman after an incident with the Red Bull Racing driver.
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The episode reinforced criticism of Verstappen’s aggressive style during the race, which had already generated complaints from other drivers. The situation also exposed strategic decisions and controversial interpretations on the track.
Right on the first lap, Lawson and Verstappen made contact at turn 11, when the Red Bull Racing driver attempted an inside overtake. The two went off track after their wheels touched, in a moment that also drew attention due to radio communications not shown in the official broadcast.
After the incident, Lawson showed irritation with the maneuver: “I don’t know what Max was doing there, man,” he said over the Racing Bulls radio. Even so, shortly after, his engineer Alexandre Iliopoulos ordered: “We need to give the position back to Max… do it as soon as possible.”
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The Racing Bulls driver complied with the instruction but made his disagreement clear: “He hit the side of my car. I don’t understand,” he replied. After the race, Lawson reinforced his surprise at the decision: “I didn’t think I needed to give the position back, but apparently I did, so I did. That’s racing,” he concluded.
The New Zealander’s race ended early, retiring on lap six after a gearbox failure that caused another contact, this time with Pierre Gasly of Alpine. Lawson stated he had been facing balance issues from the start and acknowledged it would be difficult to stay in the top 10, although he believed points were possible before the technical problem.
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