Tempers flared once again between Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez at the Australian Grand Prix, proving that even two years on, their simmering rivalry is far from settled.
What might have looked like a routine midfield scrap in Melbourne quickly turned into a flashpoint, as the pair traded aggressive moves in a fight for the unglamorous prize of 16th place.
But beneath the surface, the clash carried the lingering bitterness of past grievances – and neither driver seemed inclined to bury the hatchet.
The tension reached a boiling point at Albert Park’s Turn 3 when Perez forced Lawson’s Racing Bull wide in a defensive move that nearly ended in carbon fiber shards.
Lawson, never one to bite his tongue, immediately lit up the team radio with a blunt assessment of his rival: “That guy f*** sucks.”
Perez, seemingly amused by the fury he had provoked, countered over his own radio with a mocking, “Haha! What happened with this guy?”
Championship Intensity for P16
The irony of the situation wasn't lost on the paddock. Two years ago, the two drivers, who were locked in a psychological war for a Red Bull seat for 2025, traded blows at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Now, with Lawson back at Racing Bulls and Perez leading the Cadillac charge, they were brawling over the scraps at the back of the field as if the world title were on the line.
Lawson, who eventually barged his way past at Turn 11 later that lap, was adamant that Perez hasn't forgotten their infamous 2024 clash in Mexico City, where Lawson famously gave the Mexican veteran the middle finger.
"Two years later and he's not over it!" Lawson fumed after the race. "He's fighting me like it's for the world championship and we are like P16.
“Obviously, I don't really care too much. My race was already over at that point, so never mind. It was nothing illegal, it was just aggressive. There was nothing ... Honestly, I don't car because it was for P16.”
A Weekend of Technical Gremlins
While Lawson was busy dodging Perez’s defensive lunges, his race had actually been compromised before the first corner.
A mysterious loss of power at the lights left him a sitting duck, a malfunction that hadn't reared its head during winter testing.
Read also: F1i Driver Ratings for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix
“I had no power," Lawson explained, visibly frustrated by the mechanical setback. "I launched and just lost all power.
"I was sitting there and couldn't get it back and then a couple of seconds later I got it back and then got wheelspin. I don't know what happened, I didn't have that in testing."
Across the divide, Perez remained remarkably cool, downplaying the aggression Lawson had found so offensive. For the Cadillac driver, who finished three laps down, the scrap was less about a vendetta and more about the reality of his current machinery.
"It was a bit of fun racing," Perez insisted. "I was in a much slower car, so for me it was just trying to race.”
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