Liam Lawson has revealed a catastrophic gearbox failure was responsible for his collision with Pierre Gasly during the Miami Grand Prix, which resulted in the Alpine driver’s car flipping spectacularly before hitting the barriers. The Racing Bulls driver explained that his transmission went into neutral while braking for Turn 17, leaving him unable to avoid contact with Gasly’s rear end as the Frenchman battled Williams’ Alex Albon for position.
“I just went into the last corner, and when I braked, I lost the gearbox and I went to neutral,” Lawson told media following the race. “So I basically had no gears, and I couldn’t stop, so it’s not something I’ve had before. Obviously, it’s quite a big issue for us and it’s what meant we had to retire the car, but it’s a shame because it’s obviously taken out Pierre as well.”
The mechanical failure ended what had been a promising drive for the New Zealand driver, who made an impressive start from 11th on the grid and had climbed to ninth position by the fourth lap. Despite Racing Bulls struggling for pace throughout the Miami weekend, Lawson’s early progress suggested points were within reach before the gearbox issue struck.
Fortunately, Gasly emerged unharmed from the dramatic incident despite his car overturning, though both drivers were forced to retire from the race. The crash highlighted the unpredictable nature of mechanical failures in Formula 1, where even minor component issues can have major consequences for multiple competitors in closely-fought midfield battles.