Perez rips into 'wrong attitude for F1' Lawson

Sergio Perez has lashed out at Liam Lawson after the pair clashed during the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver was openly critical of the New Zealander, questioning whether he has "the right attitude" for F1.

The pair came together on lap 18 of 71, through the Turn 4 to 6 section at the start of the middle sector, where Max Verstappen earned his first 10-second time penalty in his fight with Lando Norris.

However, unlike with the Dutchman, no penalties were handed down to either Lawson or Perez after being looked at by the stewards.

Infuriated by the battle, Perez argued the 22-year-old needed to show more humility when asked their relationship.

"I don't have any relationship with him," he bluntly told media including RacingNews365. "I think the way he has come to Formula 1, I don't think he has the right attitude for it. He needs to be a bit more humble.

"When a two-time world champion [Fernando Alonso] was saying things last weekend, he completely ignored him. It's like when you come to Formula 1, you're obviously very hungry and so on, but you have to be respectful as well, off track and on track.

"I don't think he's showing the right attitude. I think he's a great driver and I hope for him that he can step back and learn from it.

"In his first two grands prix he has had many incidents. I think there will be a point where it can cost him too much, like it did this weekend.

"I just think that he has to have the right attitude to say: 'Look, probably I'm overdoing it a little bit, I will step back and start again'. Because if you don't learn from your mistakes, Formula 1 is a brutal world and he might not continue."

'No need' for Lawson aggression

Whilst deemed a racing incident, Lawson might consider himself lucky, having moved in the braking zone of Turn 4 and then for pushing Perez wide through Turn 5.

It was at that point the two came together, damaging the side of the Red Bull, something that seriously effected the 34-year-old's pace for the remainder of the race.

Then, later during grand prix, the RB driver was caught putting his middle finger up at the Mexican as he passed on the main straight.

Recalling the incident, Perez insisted that despite the lack of penalties, Lawson took hard racing too far.

"I had the manoeuvre into Turn 4 and then he was outside the track and just came straight like if there was no car," he said.

"I think he could have avoided the incident but he just went back. Luckily I saw him and I opened the room otherwise it would have been a massive crash.

"There was no need. We damaged both of our races. It was a little bit too much.

"He's not getting any penalties as well. He did the same with Fernando, with Franco [Colapinto] in the end. There are no penalties, so none of this is his fault as well."

Dismissing Red Bull seat factor

At the United States Grand Prix, Lawson rubbed Fernando Alonso up the wrong way after their battle during the sprint and he was also involved in a late-race incident with Franco Colapinto at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

The latter clash necessitated a change of front wing on his RB. However, whilst also a racing incident, the Argentine looked to be more to blame than Lawson.

When it was put to Perez that the New Zealander might be racing him harder as the pair are both in contention for the Red Bull seat the Mexican currently occupies, he highlighted Lawson's incidents with the Aston Martin and Williams drivers.

"He nearly crashed with Fernando last weekend, he nearly crashed with Franco," the six-time grand prix winner responded. "I think he's just racing everyone out of control at the moment."