{'I could have killed them' - Lawson faces close call with Formula 1 safety personnel
Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson revealed he came dangerously close to a life-threatening collision during Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix when two safety personnel ran across the track directly in front of him
The dangerous situation occurred on the third lap when marshals were spotted on the circuit as Lawson was returning to the race following an early pitstop to change his compromised front wing
Driver's Immediate Reaction
Moments later, the Formula 1 racer Lawson communicated to his race engineer saying: "You've got to be joking? Did you just see that? I might have... taken their lives"
"I genuinely couldn't process what I was witnessing"
"I came out on a brand new hard tyres, and then I arrived at Turn One and suddenly there were two guys sprinting across the track"
"I almost collided with one of them, honestly, it was extremely hazardous"
Safety Concerns Raised
"Evidently there's been a miscommunication at some point but I've never experienced that before, and I can't recall observing that in the past. It's absolutely inexcusable"
"We fail to grasp how on a ongoing race track track officials can be allowed to just sprint across the track like that. I have no idea why, I'm certain we'll get some kind of clarification, but this must never be repeated"
Formal Inquiry in Progress
Formula 1's governing body, the global motorsport federation, is thoroughly reviewing the situation
"Subsequent to a first corner event, race control was notified that wreckage remained on the track at the apex of that corner" declared the FIA
"During the third lap, safety personnel were alerted and placed on standby to enter the track and recover the debris once every vehicle had gone by"
"The moment it was realized that Lawson had entered the pits, the orders to send marshals were rescinded and a caution signal was shown in that zone"
"We are still investigating what happened subsequent to that time"
