“I could have killed her”
Formula 1 star avoids tragedy
10/27/2025 – 12:07 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
In Mexico, Liam Lawson almost became a tragic hero – but his reaction saved two marshals. The New Zealander freaked out on the radio – the scene only became known late.
Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson may have prevented a tragedy at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday: On the third lap, the Racing Bulls driver came into the pits after suffering damage to his front wing – and when returning to the track he raced past two track helpers who were in the middle of the road by a hair’s breadth.
Shortly after his stop, Lawson was entering turn one when the two helpers suddenly appeared directly in front of him. The New Zealander was only able to avoid a collision by reacting with presence of mind – he swerved to the right at the last moment. The 23-year-old expressed his disbelief over the radio: “Are you fucking kidding me? I could have killed her.”
The scene, which occurred in the middle of the turbulent start phase, was not initially broadcast on TV and was only picked up towards the end of the race. Commentator Sascha Roos was shocked on Sky: “That’s frightening. And that was really close. You don’t want that.” Expert Ralf Schumacher added that the marshals apparently did not expect Lawson to come out of the pits so quickly.
It initially remained unclear whether this was an organizational failure. A statement from the FIA, the world automobile association, was not available until the end of the race. As a rule, helpers are only allowed to enter the track once all cars have safely passed the area. The scene therefore raises questions about the coordination between race management and track staff.
Lawson himself ended up 17th, so he remained inconspicuous in terms of sport – and yet he was one of the decisive protagonists of the weekend. The shocking scene only appeared in the replay, but it remained in the memory of many.
The Mexican GP was clearly won by Max Verstappen, but the near-accident on lap three was a reminder of how thin the line is between routine and risk in Formula 1.