The incident occurred on the opening lap when marshals were sent onto the track at Turn 1 to clear debris after contact between Lawson and Carlos Sainz. Lawson pitted at the end of the first lap to repair the damage and returned to the circuit, where he encountered two marshals still on track removing debris.

The FIA confirmed that it had informed all marshal stations that Lawson had pitted and was separated from the rest of the field. It has also launched its own investigation into why marshals were still on the track when Lawson rejoined. However, Mexico’s motorsport federation, OMDAI Sport Mexico, conducted an independent review and concluded that Lawson did not act appropriately during the incident.

“It should be noted that the Racing Bulls team informed the driver that there was debris on the track and that this section was under a double yellow flag, so that he should take extreme precautions when driving through the area,” OMDAI said in a statement. “Therefore, at that moment, the driver had to significantly reduce his speed, refrain from overtaking, and be prepared to stop if necessary, in compliance with current safety regulations.”

The federation added that onboard camera footage showed Lawson approaching Turn 1 on the racing line while the marshals were clearly visible collecting debris. “The proximity of the car to the work area shows that the track marshals were still active within the risky area, performing cleaning and safety tasks on the circuit,” the report stated. “The images clearly show that driver Liam Lawson maintains the steering wheel angle of his car when taking Turn 1, without changing his trajectory, even though the track marshals were crossing the track to return to their post.”

Lawson expressed strong frustration after the race, describing the incident as unacceptable. “I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” he said. “I got to Turn 1 and there were two dudes just running across the track. And I nearly hit one of them. Honestly, it was so dangerous. Obviously, there’s been a miscommunication somewhere, but I’ve never experienced that before. It’s pretty unacceptable.”

OMDAI’s findings were published on Tuesday and supported by several screenshots from Lawson’s onboard footage. While the FIA continues its own investigation, the Mexican body’s conclusion is that the driver “did not interrupt his line despite the obvious presence of marshals on the track.”