{'I could have killed them' - Lawson experiences close call with Formula 1 track officials
Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson stated he narrowly avoided a potentially fatal incident during Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix when a pair of track officials ran across the track directly in front of him
The concerning event took place on the third circuit when safety workers were observed on the circuit as Lawson was getting back on the race following an early pitstop to change his compromised front wing
Driver's Immediate Reaction
Shortly afterward, the team's competitor Lawson radioed to his team engineer saying: "You've got to be joking? Did you just see that? I could have... killed them"
"I genuinely couldn't process what I was seeing"
"I exited on a fresh hard compound tires, and then I approached Turn One and unexpectedly appeared two individuals sprinting across the track"
"I nearly hit one of them, truthfully, it was so dangerous"
Safety Concerns Raised
"Obviously there's been a communication breakdown somehow but This is the first time I've faced that before, and I can't recall observing that in the past. It's absolutely inexcusable"
"We cannot comprehend how on a ongoing race track track officials can be authorized to just run across the track in that manner. I'm clueless about the cause, I'm certain we'll get some kind of clarification, but this absolutely cannot recur"
Governing Body Reviewing
F1's overseeing organization, the FIA, is thoroughly reviewing the circumstances
"Subsequent to a first corner event, the race directors was informed that debris was present on the track at the apex of that corner" stated the FIA
"During the third lap, safety personnel were alerted and put on alert to go onto the racing surface and recover the debris once all cars had passed"
"Immediately when it was understood that Lawson had pitted, the orders to send personnel were canceled and a safety warning flag was displayed in that section"
"The examination is ongoing what transpired following that moment"
