The Miami Grand Prix delivered chaos, but one moment stood out for its sheer intensity. On Lap 5, at the tight Turn 17 hairpin, Pierre Gasly’s Alpine was sent flipping into the barriers after contact with Liam Lawson.
Both drivers walked away safely, but the crash immediately triggered a Safety Car and sparked a bigger question.
Was Liam Lawson at fault?
What Actually Happened on Track
In the middle of their battle for position in qualifying, Pierre Gasly was attempting to overtake Liam Lawson.
Just as he went to pass Liam Lawson, that driver’s car (the Racing Bulls) did not slow down when it was supposed to; therefore, there was no way for contact not to occur.
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Pierre Gasly ended up in a very hard crash, and neither driver was able to continue racing after the incident.
Because of the severity of both the accident and the contact between the two cars, a penalty for Liam Lawson was very probable.
FIA Verdict
Over goes Gasly's Alpine! 😱
Both Pierre and Liam Lawson were OK after this collision in Miami 👇#F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/8b4bfSaJLU
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 3, 2026
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After the race, FIA stewards reviewed the incident in detail, going through telemetry, in-car data, and team radio.
The FIA stewards’ document stated: “The driver of Car 30 explained that just before the collision, he had a technical issue as his gearbox failed under braking.”
“The Stewards reviewed the in-car data and telemetry and confirmed that there was clearly a gearbox failure just before the incident in question. The radio communications were also consistent with the fact that there was a gearbox failure.”
“We therefore accept the driver’s explanation that this was a failure of a mechanical part in the car and that there was nothing that he could do to avoid the collision. We also considered whether the driver of Car 30 could anticipate the failure of the gearbox and decided that it would not have been possible for him to do so.”
“Under the circumstances, the stewards determined that a mechanical failure, not driver error, was the cause of the collision, and therefore, the driver of Car 30 was not at fault for the collision. We therefore took no further action.”
In simple terms, Liam Lawson didn’t escape punishment. He was never considered at fault once the data was clear.
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The key detail was the gearbox. According to the findings, Liam Lawson lost gears under braking, and the car effectively slipped into neutral just moments before impact.
With no engine braking and limited control, slowing down wasn’t possible. That split-second failure made the collision inevitable.
Liam Lawson’s Reaction to the Crash
Liam Lawson didn’t try to dodge responsibility, but he was clear about what happened inside the cockpit.
He said, “It sucks for both of us, obviously. I just went into the last corner, and when I braked lost the gearbox, and I went to neutral, 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 taken out Pierre as well.”
Even without a penalty, the damage was done.
The Racing Bulls lost a car that was in the fight. Alpine lost a potential points finish with Pierre Gasly, especially in a race where chaos opened opportunities across the midfield.
Also Read: Miami Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli Edges Lando Norris in Thriller, Shakes Up Title Race
