Liam Lawson fires fresh Sergio Perez warning after ‘aggressive’ Canadian Sprint clash

Liam Lawson has accused Sergio Perez of being “quite aggressive” after the pair added another chapter to their growing rivalry in Saturday’s Canadian Grand Prix Sprint.

Perez was penalised on Saturday for forcing Lawson off the track as they battled for 11th place in the short 23-lap race.

Liam Lawson reacts to Sergio Perez Canadian GP Sprint clash

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Lawson and Perez’s rivalry began in earnest in 2024 as the two went head-to-head in an intense competition to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing the following season.

Trading paint and hand gestures, Lawson won the Red Bull seat – although that was very short-lived – while Perez parted ways with Red Bull and spent a year on the sidelines before returning to the grid this season with Cadillac.

And already in round 1, the Australian Grand Prix, the two were at it again.

Perez pushed Lawson wide at Turn 3 before contact between the pair, as Lawson later forced his way through at Turn 11.

“Two years later he’s not over it!” Lawson said. “He’s fighting me like it’s for the world championship and we are like P16.”

He added: “It was nothing illegal, it was just aggressive.”

Lawson and Perez, though, don’t seem capable of staying away from one another.

They clashed again in Saturday’s Sprint at the Canadian Grand Prix as Lawson tried to overtake Perez on the straight down to Turn 11, only to be forced onto the grass.

The Racing Bulls driver once again described Perez as aggressive.

“Obviously, I was trying to come through the field from the back, and I just have to be careful when racing him,” he said.

“He’s quite aggressive.

“So in the end, he pushed me off, and I just decided not to race him anymore. It’s not really worth it for no points.

“But yeah, seems to be a thing when I race with him.”

Perez took the chequered flag in 11th place, a second ahead of Lawson, but was subsequently handed a 10-second penalty for forcing the New Zealander off the track.

Lawson was promoted to 11th, while Perez dropped to 14th place.

The stewards’ verdict read: “Car 30 was attempting to overtake Car 11 on the straight before Turn 13. Car 11 moved to the right of the track, then moved back to the left, forcing Car 30 off the track.

“Accordingly the base line penalty of 10 seconds is applied.”

Although Perez did not comment on the incident during his media briefing, it is clear that in the heat of the moment, he felt Lawson was at fault.

“What was he trying to do?” he asked his race engineer.

Lawson and Perez will at least have some distance from each other at the start of Sunday’s grand prix, with Lawson 12th on the grid and Perez starting P20.

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