Verstappen and Lawson penalized for Mexico City collision

Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson will each lose one grid position for Sunday's race after a collision in Friday practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion and the New Zealander made contact in the stadium section near the end of the lap. Their cars hit each other side-on after running through three corners together.

Race stewards found both drivers at fault, an unusual decision for a practice session. The FIA report noted that Verstappen was attempting a flying lap while Lawson was on a cool-down lap. Both drivers admitted their maneuvers were unnecessary and clumsy.

Verstappen criticized the incident before the verdict was announced. He described Lawson's actions as not very smart behavior, suggesting the younger driver tried to push him off the track at the hairpin. The Dutchman noted that picking a fight with him is not sensible for a driver fighting for a seat.

Lawson is one of three drivers competing for two spots at Racing Bulls next year. He shares the fight with current teammate Arvid Lindblad and Formula 2 leader Nikola Tsolov. Verstappen holds an influential position within the Red Bull organization as their star driver.

Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane called the incident unnecessary for both drivers. He stated that the collision was not needed and that both parties could do better.

Charles Leclerc set the fastest time of the session, beating McLaren's Lando Norris by 0.103 seconds. Mercedes driver George Russell was third, just 0.003 seconds behind Norris. Teammate Kimi Antonelli was fourth, 0.217 seconds off the pace.

Antonelli is poised to clinch his first world title on Sunday. Only a victory by Russell or Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton can theoretically stop him from becoming champion. If Russell wins, Antonelli needs ninth place. If Hamilton wins, Antonelli needs 10th place.

Hamilton finished 11th after a technical problem forced him to stop on track. He said the car felt good and the setup was in a better place, but the early stop meant he did not complete a long run on the soft tire.

Russell said Ferrari looks strongest at the moment. He noted that qualifying could go any way despite the current times. Race simulation runs suggested a one-stop strategy is most likely for Sunday.

Overtaking will be difficult due to overheating challenges in the thin air at the 2,200m altitude. Cadillac rookie Colton Herta is still one point short of earning his superlicence and will need one more practice session this year.