RB's Lawson extended his apologies to Perez following the tensions that arose during the Mexican Grand Prix.

RB's Lawson extended his apologies to Perez following the tensions that arose during the Mexican Grand Prix. 

RB driver Liam Lawson extended his apologies to Sergio Perez following their incident at the Mexican Grand Prix; however, the New Zealand rookie affirmed that he would not alter his assertive style of racing in Formula One. Lawson, who is regarded as a potential contender for Perez's position at Red Bull, collided with the Mexican driver during the race and subsequently gestured at him in a provocative manner. Although neither competitor faced penalties for the incident, the 22-year-old Lawson acknowledged that he could have prevented the collision and expressed regret for his gesture. "We had a brief conversation after the race, but we left the track quite early afterward," he informed reporters prior to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. "I believe it was a competitive exchange on the track, and I apologized for my actions following the incident. However, regarding our on-track battle, it was classified as a racing incident, a momentary struggle." Lawson, who took over from the dismissed Australian Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull after the Singapore Grand Prix, finished the race in 16th place, one position ahead of Perez. He also had encounters with Williams driver Franco Colapinto in Mexico City and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso at the U.S. Grand Prix. While Lawson acknowledged the need to learn from his errors, he emphasized that he would not temper his aggressive approach on the track. "I may be aggressive, but I have a clear purpose here," he stated. "My intention is not to create animosity with anyone; I am not looking to cause problems. Nevertheless, I am not here to make friends; my focus is on winning."