Liam Lawson Fires Back at Carlos Sainz After Dutch GP Collision

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson called out Williams’ Carlos Sainz Jr. over his public comments regarding the battle both drivers had at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Lawson and Sainz collided on lap 26 as the pair fought for places during the safety car restart.

The FIA stewards ultimately handed the Spanish driver a 10-second time penalty, which ruined his chances of scoring any points.

After the race, Sainz said that Lawson “prefers to have a bit of contact and risk a DNF” and drives with a “crash or no overtake” mentality.

Lawson, however, did not take kindly to Sainz’s assertions, claiming that he was following the rules.

“Obviously, I’m not stoked either. It ruined my day,” Lawson told the media. “The rules are written as they are, and we know how they’re written.

“I’ve been on the receiving end [of penalties] this year as well, where I was going for an overtake and thought that I should be given space; I wasn’t and I got a penalty.

“So it’s something that we learn from. We know we all know this.

“It’s lap one on a restart. It’s super slippery, cold tyres, and it’s fine to go for the move, but it’s just risky and we make contact, which is not ideal, but that’s why he got a penalty.”

Lawson did not appreciate how his elder statesmen in the sport handled the aftermath of the incident.

“He was overtaking me today and he got a penalty today. So he can make all the comments in the world he likes,” the Racing Bulls driver added.

“I wish he’d just come and talk to me about it rather than telling everybody else. If it was my fault, I would have got a penalty.

“I understand his frustration. We don’t want to be in these situations. As I said, I’ve been on the receiving end as well. It’s just the way the rules are written, and we all know that.”