Lawson urges Sainz to settle disputes privately

Liam Lawson has spoken out after his collision with Carlos Sainz at Zandvoort, conceding the Spaniard’s penalty may have been heavy-handed, but defending his own actions.

"Obviously I'm not happy either - it ruined my day," said the Racing Bulls driver. "But that's the way it is. I've been in a similar situation this year trying to overtake and I thought the other guy should have given me space, and they didn't, and I got a penalty," Lawson added.

"The fact is that he initiated the situation. He attacked, it was risky, he was fined, and now he can say whatever he wants."

Sainz, increasingly irritable throughout 2025 in his post-Ferrari era, ended the race point-less and lashed out at both Lawson and the FIA officials, even threatening to escalate the issue formally as GPDA director, but the New Zealander was unimpressed that Sainz chose to make his complaints in the media.

"I suggest he talk to me personally, not through the press," said the New Zealander. Lawson stressed that the incident was just part of racing under the current rulebook.

"It sucks, for both of us. Obviously it's not my intention, but it's the first lap of a restart and we have very little grip heading into the first corner," he said.

"The rules are written the way they are, we all know how they are written, no matter how much we disagree," Lawson added. "I don't really agree with the penalty either, but for it to be his corner, he has to be ahead at the apex - and he wasn't even close. I think that's why he got a penalty."