Red Bull teammates Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson were handed one-place grid penalties for Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix after colliding during Friday's second practice session, with both drivers also receiving a penalty point on their superlicence.
The incident occurred 13 minutes into the session when Verstappen attempted to overtake Lawson on the inside at Turn 12. The New Zealander held his line through Turn 13, leaving the two cars running side by side before they made contact.
The collision damaged both cars and scattered debris across the circuit, forcing race officials to stop the session with a red flag while marshals cleared the track.
Stewards summoned both drivers after the session and concluded that their driving was unacceptable. They said Verstappen and Lawson agreed the incident was unnecessary and clumsy, but decided to impose grid penalties rather than the usual formal warning.
The stewards explained that they had already cautioned team managers about similar incidents during practice sessions this season and wanted to make clear that such behavior would not be tolerated.
Verstappen, a four-time world champion, was particularly critical of Lawson, suggesting the Racing Bulls driver had taken an unnecessary risk despite uncertainty surrounding his future in Formula One.
"Maybe not very smart behavior what he was trying to do there," Verstappen told reporters before meeting the stewards. "At the end of the day, it is not going to change my weekend, but if I were him, I would act a little smarter, and when you're fighting for your seat, it's not very smart behavior."
He added that Lawson's decision to challenge him was particularly questionable given his position at the team.
"That's not very sensible behavior from someone in his position, to pick a fight with me," Verstappen said.
Lawson, meanwhile, defended himself over the team radio, saying Verstappen had driven into him.
"He literally just drove into me," the New Zealander said.
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane was unimpressed with either driver's conduct and insisted both should have avoided the confrontation.
"One word, unnecessary. And I say that of both of them," Permane told the BBC. "I haven't heard what Max has said. I'm sure he's got his opinions and I'm sure Liam has his opinion. But mine is, it's just not needed and they can both do better."
The clash added another layer of uncertainty to Lawson's already unsettled future at Racing Bulls. The 23-year-old has yet to receive confirmation that he will retain his seat next season, despite producing a strong campaign with Red Bull's sister team.
Lawson briefly partnered Verstappen at Red Bull during the opening two races of last season before returning to Racing Bulls. He also stepped in for the Dutchman earlier this year while Verstappen was unavailable.
Red Bull is understood to be considering its options for next season, with junior driver Nikola Tsolov among those attracting attention. Tsolov made history Friday by becoming the first Bulgarian driver to participate in an official Formula One Grand Prix practice session when he took part in FP1.
Lawson has nevertheless strengthened his case through consistent performances, comfortably outperforming rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad. He sits ninth in the drivers' standings with 77 points, compared with Lindblad's 38, while his results have helped Racing Bulls occupy fifth place in the constructors' championship behind Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren.
Speaking Thursday, Lawson acknowledged the difficulty of securing consistency in Formula One but said he believed he had made the most of his opportunities this season.
"I'm not really sure what more is expected, but I'm not really sitting here thinking too much about the whole seat selection thing," he said.
"I overthought things last year, so I'm trying a different mindset this year to score as many points as I can."
Away from the collision, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in second practice, ahead of McLaren's world champion Lando Norris, in a session that also saw Mercedes' George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli finish ahead of Verstappen.
Antonelli placed fourth and continued his strong campaign as he closes in on the championship. The 20-year-old Italian could become the sport's youngest world champion Sunday if he finishes in the top nine.
Verstappen, a five-time winner in Mexico, ended the session fifth, while Lawson finished ninth.
The Dutchman admitted Red Bull still had work to do but remained encouraged by the team's pace ahead of qualifying and Sunday's race.
"It could have gone better, but we're not too far off and just have some fine-tuning to do," Verstappen said. "No one has much grip here, but it is the same for us all and nothing new."
