The battle between Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez for the 2025 Red Bull seat materialized into wheel-to-wheel action on the race track in Mexico this past weekend. The two drivers battled tooth and nail in the midfield with several moments of contact. It also led to some unsavory radio calls toward each other, with Lawson even showing Perez the middle finger as he passed him down the main straight.
F1 photojournalist Kym Illman revealed that Red Bull‘s Head of Communications, Paul Smith, had to step in and handle this feud after the race. In his latest YouTube video, Illman revealed how Lawson had Smith’s company as he addressed the media.
“I saw him walking back with Paul Smith. Paul is the head of Red Bull’s Communications and the pair were actively engaged in a conversation and I gather it’s about what had happened during the race and how they would handle it in terms of the media”, he said.
Lawson and Perez’s battle wasn’t ordinary as they collided at the narrow turn four to six complex multiple times. Perez having to battle an RB car at his home race was already embarrassing. To top that, as Lawson did not give him much room to breathe, it further frustrated the Mexican driver.
It might be Checo’s home race…
But Liam Lawson wasn’t about to give up P10 without getting his elbows out! #F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/ru42ZLwper
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 28, 2024
One of their collisions led to critical damage to Perez‘s sidepod and that was the undoing of his race. It led to the #11 driver tumbling down the order and finishing dead last in his home race. After the race, Perez had a lot to say about Lawson’s “attitude” not being right.
While the Kiwi driver apologized for his behavior during the race, he also stated that the Red Bull man did not give him space. With Lawson fighting to get Perez’s seat, this tense battle between this duo is likely to continue.
The wider perspective of the Lawson-Perez battle
Perez was very vocal about Lawson’s shenanigans on the track in Mexico and even referred to the New Zealander’s tussle with Fernando Alonso. The 34-year-old said, “When a two-time world champion [Fernando Alonso] was saying things last weekend, he completely ignored him.”
“It’s like when you come to Formula 1, you’re obviously very hungry and so on, but you have to be respectful as well, off track and on track,” Perez added. While the six-time Grand Prix winner’s criticism about Lawson seems right, he himself should not be in a place to fight an RB car.
Perez’s form has been abysmal in the past six months, to say the least. Since Miami, he hasn’t finished in the top five and there are serious concerns about his future at Red Bull.
️ “I think he’s just racing anyone out of control at the moment.”
Sergio Perez had a few words for Liam Lawson after their clash at the Mexico GP: pic.twitter.com/0QgMWROZH7
— The Race (@wearetherace) October 27, 2024
On the other hand, Lawson is showing a pretty promising pace already despite having raced in only two Grands Prix this season. There is a notion that Red Bull is considering the New Zealander as a potential replacement for Perez.
So, Perez’s comments with this bigger picture in perspective seem like a desperate attempt to save his seat. Even Helmut Marko seems to be wanting to replace Perez despite not liking Lawson’s behavior.
