Round 19 of the 2026 Formula One season is underway in Mexico, and it is safe to say that Friday's free practice sessions were not short of drama as we enter a crucial period in the season.

With Kimi Antontelli set to claim the title this weekend, the fight for the Drivers' Championship podium places is still on as just nine points splits George Russell in second and Charles Leclerc in fifth, with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in-between.

The weekend was going relatively smoothly after the first free practice session. However, a collision between two former teammates in the second free practice session caused uproar as one driver's comments did not go down well with fans.

Max Verstappen's Incident With Liam Lawson in Mexico

After not competing in practice one due to Ayumu Iwasa fulfilling Red Bull's rookie session requirements, Max Verstappen, one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, was pushing his car to get every bit of data he could out of practice two.

The session was going smoothly, with Verstappen's lap count well into the 20s before he made contact with a former teammate due to a move many fans deemed unfair.

Heading into turn 12, Verstappen decided to dive up the inside of Liam Lawson in an attempt to overtake him during free practice two. Lawson, with no requirement to move out of the Dutchman's way, attempted to defend his position.

The battle continued through to turn 13, where the two got agonisingly close to each other, before the collision, which felt inevitable as soon as Verstappen moved to the inside, happened as the pair were going through turns 14 and 15.

Verstappen was seen waving out of his car, seemingly telling Lawson to get out of his way. However, the road became too small, and the Dutchman had no room left on the track before he re-entered and made contact with the Racing Bulls front wing.

The collision received mixed opinions on social media, with some fans suggesting Lawson should have yielded his position to Verstappen, while others suggested it was the latter being overly aggressive once again.

"Just Max being Max as usual. At no point was he in a position to overtake cleanly, so back out and wait until the straight. Any sensible driver would have done that," one fan stated on X.

Another fan shared the opposite sentiment, stating: "Liam forgets that Max IS Red Bull, his entire paycheck is literally funded by the prize money Max brought here over the last five years."

Verstappen Has 'Threatening' Reaction After Incident

Despite differing opinions on social media, Verstappen was very quick to let his opinion be known in the media pen following the conclusion of the session, something that hasn't gone down well with F1 fans.

Speaking about the collision, Verstappen said: "Maybe not very smart behaviour. What was he trying to do there?

"But, at the end of the day, it's not going to change my weekend, but if I was him, I'd act a little bit smarter, especially when you're fighting for your seat, it's not very smart behaviour."

Fans were quick to question Verstappen's intentions behind his statements in the pen, with some suggesting his behaviour was bully-like.

"Max is acting like a bully here. Not a good look. Liam did nothing wrong and the penalty he received is not fair. This is all on Max," one fan said.

Another fan took the opportunity to speak against Verstappen's behaviour, stating: "Literally confirming he has three drivers that work for him and if one of them misbehaves, they're gone. Independent team my a**."

Liam Lawson's F1 Future Still Unclear

Lawson's race seat for the 2027 season is still unconfirmed, with Racing Bulls yet to extend his contract and looking more likely to look elsewhere, potentially into the Red Bull driver academy for another young driver.

Lawson may receive a late opportunity, with Cadillac a rumoured option should they part with Valtteri Bottas, but nothing is confirmed as of yet for the New Zealander.

Putting the situation into perspective, one fan said: "D*** move from Max Verstappen. Don't care what he was trying to do, Liam's seat is threatened and saying it isn't very kind."

Both drivers were handed a one-place grid penalty and one penalty point each ahead of the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, but with Verstappen's statements, this incident may have done much more damage to the Formula One career of Liam Lawson.