VERSTAPPEN REACTS TO LAWSON FP2 INCIDENT IN MEXICO

Verstappen and Liam Lawson tangled in FP2 at Mexico City, and the reigning champion isn't letting it slide. The two came together when Lawson tried to repass Verstappen through the stadium section after being overtaken into Turn 12. Verstappen rode the kerb on exit, rejoined alongside Lawson, and tore up his Red Bull's floor in the process — forcing a brief red flag to clear debris.

Verstappen's take? "Not very smart behaviour." He twisted the knife further, pointing out that Lawson is fighting for his Racing Bulls seat for 2027. "If I would be him, I would act a little bit smarter," Verstappen said. Racing Bulls ran Nikola Tsolov in FP1 — the Bulgarian finished just a tenth off fellow rookie Arvid Lindblad — and the seat pressure is real.

Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane called the whole thing "unnecessary" from both drivers. The stewards are reviewing it post-session. Lawson's audition just got complicated.