Liam Lawson has criticised Charles Leclerc following their controversial collision at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix, drawing an unexpected comparison with an incident involving the Ferrari driver and Alex Albon in Formula 2 nine years earlier. The Racing Bulls driver suggested that the two manoeuvres were remarkably similar after contact at Interlagos contributed to an overtake that ultimately cost Charles Leclerc a five-second penalty.
The New Zealander was clearly frustrated by the incident, which occurred during the closing stages of the São Paulo Grand Prix. Although Charles Leclerc initially gained seventh place on track, the FIA stewards subsequently reversed the positions through a time penalty, leaving the Ferrari driver eighth and restoring Liam Lawson to seventh in the final classification.
Charles Leclerc and Liam Lawson collide at Interlagos during Brazilian GP battle
The incident occurred towards the end of the race at the apex of the Juncão corner, where Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari made contact with the left-rear tyre of Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls.
The wheel-to-wheel contact unsettled the New Zealander’s car and helped Charles Leclerc close the gap. Although the Ferrari driver did not complete the overtake immediately, he successfully passed Liam Lawson at the beginning of the following lap.
The manoeuvre itself was completed legally, but the earlier contact attracted the attention of the FIA stewards, who investigated whether Charles Leclerc had gained an advantage through the collision.
Following their review, the stewards imposed a five-second penalty on Charles Leclerc for the Brazilian GP incident.
The sanction meant the Ferrari driver lost the seventh position he had gained on track, dropping to eighth in the final classification. Liam Lawson consequently recovered seventh place and secured two additional championship points.
The decision brought a disappointing end to Charles Leclerc’s late attempt to improve his position, with the Ferrari driver’s reaction to the FIA penalty also attracting attention after the race.
Liam Lawson recalls Charles Leclerc’s 2017 Formula 2 incident with Alex Albon
Even before the FIA officially confirmed Charles Leclerc’s penalty, Liam Lawson had made his dissatisfaction clear. However, what made his reaction particularly interesting was his decision to bring up an incident from almost a decade earlier.
The Racing Bulls driver recalled a remarkably similar manoeuvre involving Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon during the final race weekend of the 2017 Formula 2 championship in Abu Dhabi.
That season marked Charles Leclerc’s first and only campaign in Formula 2, which he won at his first attempt before progressing towards Formula 1. During the sprint race in Abu Dhabi, Charles Leclerc made contact with Alex Albon in a manner that Liam Lawson considers comparable to what happened at Interlagos. The collision, which was unintentional, gave the Monegasque an advantage by allowing him to accelerate more effectively and complete an overtake at the following chicane.
Nine years later, Liam Lawson immediately recognised the similarities between that incident and his own encounter with the Ferrari driver at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Liam Lawson questions Charles Leclerc’s racing tactics after Brazilian GP penalty
Speaking after the chequered flag, in comments reported by The Race, Liam Lawson admitted that the contact could have had more serious consequences and explained why it reminded him of the previous incident involving Alex Albon.
“We were very lucky that the contact didn’t have worse consequences. He did exactly the same thing as that move in GP2 at Abu Dhabi with Alex Albon a few years ago. Pretty much the same thing happened there, so who knows, maybe that’s his speciality. I don’t know whether it’s legal or not, but obviously we’ll have a look at it. In any case, it was generally a good battle with Charles Leclerc.”
Although Liam Lawson referred to the earlier championship as GP2, the series had already been renamed Formula 2 by the time the Abu Dhabi incident occurred in 2017.
His comments combined frustration with an acknowledgement that the overall battle had been enjoyable. The New Zealander questioned the legitimacy of the contact without dismissing the quality of the fight between the two drivers.
Ultimately, the FIA stewards ruled against Charles Leclerc, determining that the collision had given the Ferrari driver an advantage in his subsequent overtake.
The five-second penalty therefore cancelled out the position gained on track, leaving Liam Lawson seventh and Charles Leclerc eighth. The incident added another frustrating moment to Ferrari’s difficult Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, while Liam Lawson’s recollection of the 2017 Formula 2 clash brought an unusual historical dimension to the controversy.
Leave a Reply