Lawson 'doesn't understand' as teammate Lindblad avoids penalty
FIA stewards decided not to penalise Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad for a Turn 1 collision with teammate Liam Lawson at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday, September 26, sparking a fairness debate. Lawson, whose car suffered a hole in the floor from the impact, said he 'doesn't understand' why no penalty was issued, though he stopped short of protesting his own teammate.
What happened at Turn 1
The clash came at the restart following a Safety Car period triggered by Franco Colapinto's lap-30 crash. Lawson, running 12th, and Lindblad, in 14th, ran side by side into Turn 1 when Lindblad hit Lawson amid a chain reaction from cars battling further up the road. Lawson said: 'I tried to give room going into the corner, then got hit really hard from the left,' adding that the impact 'put a hole in my floor.'
The stewards' reasoning
Stewards completed their investigation within 20 minutes and ruled no further action was needed, citing 'limited space and a chain reaction from an incident ahead' as the main cause, concluding predominant blame could not be placed on Lindblad. It was treated as a typical first-corner restart incident. Lindblad himself described it as 'complete chaos' and claimed Esteban Ocon moved under braking, though outlets reported that broadcast footage did not clearly support that claim.
Lawson's response and team context
While voicing his confusion at the decision, Lawson acknowledged it was 'great for the team' and said he would not protest his teammate. Lindblad went on to finish with his car largely intact and scored points, while Lawson dropped out of the points. Both drivers race for Red Bull-owned Racing Bulls and are also rivals for 2027 seats, raising questions about whether the ruling will fuel further internal tension.