Liam Lawson was 'told off' by his dad after heated moment with Perez
F1 News
Liam Lawson revealed that his dad told him off after giving Sergio Perez the middle finger during the Mexican Grand Prix. The New Zealander engaged in a duel with the Mexican during the race and then swore at Perez when he drove past on the track.
Sergio Perez is contracted to Red Bull Racing for the 2025 season, but his performances in 2024 raise doubts about his future as Max Verstappen's teammate. If Red Bull opts to replace Perez, Lawson is one of the candidates. He returned to Formula 1 for the final six races of the 2024 season, as Red Bull wanted to see how he performed alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
In just his second race at VCARB in 2024, things got heated between Lawson and Perez. The two drivers engaged in a battle on lap 19. There was an off-track moment, and the two touched. Perez picked up damage and later expressed how he felt Lawson cost Perez and Red Bull a lot of points.
Why Lawson's dad told him off
After the heated moment on track, Lawson raised his middle finger. The 22-year-old later apologised and said he regretted the moment. He dad also made sure to speak to him about it. Lawson explained his reaction when speaking on to TFN's Paddy Gower.
"My dad told me off, yeah, as my dad has done many times over the years. [I’m] very fortunate to have someone like my dad who has played a massive role in, obviously, raising me as a man, but also as a driver, growing up and trying to be professional in the sport," Lawson said.
“He’s kept me very grounded, I would say, and that’s been something that he’s done since I was a kid. So, you know, he wasn’t impressed with that, and I completely understand why. And obviously, as I said, it’s not something I should have done. I’ll learn from [it].”
Since returning to F1, Lawson has scored four points. In the same period, Tsunoda scored six points, all of which came in one race.