Liam Lawson Retaliates Against Carlos Sainz Following Collision During Dutch Grand Prix
In the aftermath of the Dutch Grand Prix, Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson has spoken out about his collision with Carlos Sainz Jr. of Williams during the safety car restart. The incident, which occurred on lap 26, resulted in a 10-second time penalty for Sainz and a disappointing 12th place finish for Lawson.
Lawson, who was overtaking Sainz at the time, believes he was following the rules and finds the penalties imposed on him this season, especially when he feels he should have been given space for an overtake, to be unfair. He stated, "If I was at fault in the incident, I would have received a penalty. However, I believe I was following the rules."
Sainz, in response to Lawson's comments, claimed that the New Zealander drives with a "crash or no overtake" mentality. However, Lawson prefers a private conversation to address such matters and expressed his discontent with Sainz's public criticisms.
Meanwhile, the Dutch Grand Prix saw Oscar Piastri of McLaren take the victory, with Max Verstappen finishing second for Red Bull and Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls completing the podium in third. George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes, while Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton did not finish the race (DNF).
This incident is not the first time Lawson has been on the receiving end of penalties this season. His collision with Sainz adds to his growing frustration, as he stated, "I'm not satisfied with the outcome of the race. It ruined my day."
It is worth noting that Sainz has contributed to Formula 1 rule violations in the past, notably receiving penalties such as a penalty for singing on track, indicating minor infractions. However, there is no significant record of major rule violations attributed to him.
As the season continues, it will be interesting to see how the relationship between Lawson and Sainz develops, both on and off the track.
