Lindblad earns fan praise for public apology after taking out team-mate Lawson in Baku

Arvid Lindblad walked up to Liam Lawson in the Baku media pen and apologised face-to-face after the Racing Bulls team-mates collided during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, drawing widespread praise from Formula 1 fans who called the gesture a “class” move from the British rookie.

The incident unfolded on a late safety car restart when Lindblad locked his brakes heading into Turn 1 and made contact with the left side of Lawson’s car. The impact inflicted floor damage on the New Zealander’s machine and effectively ended his afternoon, with Lawson eventually finishing 12th. Lindblad, by contrast, recovered to seventh place and six championship points.

Lawson’s frustration was audible immediately. “Man I love getting taken out by my team-mate. That’s pretty sick,” he told the team over the radio. The subsequent media pen exchange — Lindblad seeking out Lawson while both were still doing post-race interviews — was captured and shared widely online.

Fan reaction on Reddit was a mix of amusement and genuine respect. “Liam’s inner monologue: I’m doing media right now, don’t lose it at this bs explanation… don’t lose it.... and… drink… OK… swallow the anger,” one user wrote. Another noted the tactical element: “Doing it in the media pen where Lawson can’t blow up at him. Smart man.”

Others were more straightforwardly complimentary. “Looked so incredibly awkward but I’m glad Lindblad owned it. You can tell Lawson is still pissed af,” one comment read, while another offered: “Obviously his mistake, it was a bit unfortunate, however. Class response from both.” A further post observed: “Well, it looked pretty genuine anyway. Whether that’s the right time or not, it’s probably the first time they’ve seen each other since it happened.”

The collision carries real championship weight for both drivers. Lawson sits ninth in the drivers’ standings on 59 points, while Lindblad is 11th with 37. In the constructors’ table, Racing Bulls holds fifth place on 83 points — 15 clear of Alpine in sixth — meaning internal damage between the two cars is a cost the team can ill afford as the midfield battle tightens.