MEXICO CITY, Oct 31 - Liam Lawson apologised to Max Verstappen on Saturday after the pair collided during practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix, saying the contact had not been intentional.

The Racing Bulls driver said he had approached the four-times world champion that morning to clear the air after their clash in Friday's second practice session, which brought out a red flag and prompted a stewards' investigation.

"I went to see Max this morning to apologise. Obviously, it was never my intention to make contact," Lawson told reporters after qualifying.

"Obviously, for both of us, it's not good, so yeah, I'll learn from it going forward."

Verstappen had been critical of his former Red Bull team mate after the incident, questioning Lawson's judgement and suggesting it was particularly unwise given the New Zealander's uncertain future in Formula One.

"Ultimately only Max knows how he feels," Lawson said. "Like I said, it was never my intention to have contact. So apologies for that."

The stewards handed both drivers one-place grid penalties and a penalty point each, dropping Verstappen from fourth to fifth and Lawson from eighth to ninth on Sunday's starting grid. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton took pole position.

With his 2027 future still uncertain, the 24-year-old Lawson said he was focused on making the most of his remaining opportunities.

"Formula One is a tough sport, so I'm trying to do my best. I'm trying to score in every race that I can," he said. REUTERS