Red Bull VCARB driver Liam Lawson expressed his frustration, saying he doesn’t “even have the words for what I just watched” after another intense encounter with Sergio Perez during the Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race.
Their rivalry started in Mexico, where they often clashed, leading Lawson to show Perez the middle finger. In Sao Paulo, the competition heated up again.
After starting in 13th place, Perez needed to fight his way through the field and eventually caught up to Lawson, who was holding the eighth position.
Desperate to pass, Perez attempted to make a move into Turn 1 but locked up, allowing Lawson to reclaim his spot. However, Perez managed to get ahead again soon after, and a late Virtual Safety Car (VSC) helped him avoid being overtaken again.
When the VSC ended, Lawson was unhappy with Perez, who he believed was moving too slowly. VCARB race engineer Pierre Hamelin said, “Okay Liam, obviously very frustrating. P9. Just about there.”
Lawson replied, “I don’t even have words for what I just watched.”
Hamelin responded, “Understood. We will review what happened at the VSC restart. We lost quite a bit there compared to the guys in front. We’ll have a look.”
Lawson then pointed out, “Did you see I was on the gearbox of Checo? He’s like five seconds positive.”
Hamelin confirmed, “Copy that and then he opened a bit more in the corner. Loud and clear.”
During a VSC, drivers must maintain a specific time delta, and Lawson suggested that Perez was going slower than allowed. Although this did not lead to an investigation, it highlighted the growing tension between the two drivers, both racing under the Red Bull team.
After his clashes with Perez in Mexico and Alonso in Austin, Lawson mentioned before this weekend that he didn’t want to make enemies but also wasn’t in Formula 1 to make friends.
“Obviously, my goal is not to go out and make enemies of anybody, I’m not trying to cause any issues or anything like that,” the 22-year-old said.
“But at the same time, I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to win, and that’s what I’m focused on doing.
“And in this situation, we’re fighting very hard for P6 in the Constructors’, and I’m fighting obviously for my future in Formula 1 as well, so that’s what I’m focused on.”
