Liam Lawson baffled after being 'smoked' by Arvid Lindblad

Liam Lawson was left baffled after being "smoked" by Racing Bulls team-mate Arvid Lindblad during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Lawson was an unfortunate victim of a chain reaction sparked by an incident ahead, which saw Franco Colapinto wipe out Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly and McLaren's Lando Norris at Turn 1 following a restart on lap 36 after a crash involving Williams' Alex Albon.

As a consequence, Haas driver Esteban Ocon reacted, forcing Lindblad into the side of Lawson, who retired with severe damage to his car.

Whilst conducting an initial interview with Sky Sports F1, and explaining what unfolded, Lawson said: "We're all coming into Turn 1 on the restart, and I just got smoked from my left, put a hole in my floor as well.

"I don't really know what gap he was looking for in the middle of both of us going into Turn 1. I just don't understand it, but yeah, obviously great points for the team."

It was at that stage that Lindblad pulled Lawson away to explain the situation from his perspective.

Despite that, Lawson repeated what occurred in a separate interview with the written media, including RacingNews365.

"We're coming into Turn 1, I had a massive boost lag, and I didn't have any power, so Esteban was next to me, and I tried to give him space, and then I just got hit from my left so hard that it put a hole in the floor, and we couldn't really fight after that," said Lawson.

"I don't really know what happened, but obviously from where I'm sitting, there's not really space to go through the middle there. 

"Going into Turn 1, to try and fit in between the middle of two cars like that, I don't think it's ever really going to happen.

"He came to apologise, said he locked up and he had nowhere to go. It's not ideal."

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FIA stewards explain Lawson Lindblad decision

The stewards looked at the incident during the race and decided there was no case to answer, and that Lindblad was squeezed with nowhere to go.

A stewards' document read: "Following the restart, Lindblad and Lawson approached Turn 1, with Lindblad in a three-car situation.

"Ahead of them, a collision occurred involving Colapinto, Gasly and Norris. That incident, together with Colapinto locking his brakes, triggered a braking reaction among the cars immediately ahead of Lindblad. 

"At the same time, Lindblad was positioned between cars on either side.

"During the corner, Lindblad made contact with Lawson.

"Having reviewed the positioning and movement of the cars involved, the stewards determined that the contact was primarily the result of the restricted space available to Lindblad and the chain reaction caused by the incident ahead, rather than any action or error for which Lindblad could be considered wholly or predominantly to blame.

"The stewards, therefore, considered this to be a typical first-corner incident following a restart, with no driver predominantly to blame."