Liam Lawson's race engineer chastises Lewis Hamilton during the F1 Monaco GP FP1

Liam Lawson's race engineer, Ernesto Desiderio, blasted Lewis Hamilton during the first free practice session on Friday, ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix. The drivers were close to a collision on the entry of Turn 19, with Lawson approaching a slow-driving Hamilton from behind.

It was a hectic FP1 session around the streets of Monaco, with all 20 drivers looking to get out on track to get their first running around the 2.074-mile street circuit. This caused many hair-raising moments for multiple teams and drivers, including Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson.

The Kiwi driver was arriving into the final corner at maximum speed, only to be met by a slow-driving Hamilton, who was preparing to start his flying lap. After being impeded by the 7x world champion, Lawson came over the team radio to complain to his team.

"I nearly hit Hamilton, he like braked right before the last corner," said Lawson.

Lawson's race engineer, Ernesto Desiderio, blasted Hamilton for the incident, saying:

"Yeah, usual Hamilton stuff, that's OK."

Lewis Hamilton ended the FP1 session in 9th, with his teammate and home hero, Charles Leclerc, setting the early pace by topping the time sheets in the first session on Friday. Liam Lawson, on the other hand, finished the session in 17th, having set his best time on the medium compound tires.

Hamilton is looking to follow up an impressive race result at Imola with another solid performance around the streets of Monaco. The Briton finished the Emilia-Romagna GP in P4, after a late race incident between Leclerc and Alex Albon allowed him to overtake both drivers in front of him.

Lewis Hamilton survives scary moment around Turn 15 during Monaco GP FP1

Lewis Hamilton's #44 Ferrari during FP1 - 2025 Monaco Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton went airborne around Turns 15 and 16, otherwise known as the swimming pool section, as the driver clipped the wall into the entry on the chicane, and had to go over the kerbs to avoid a slow-moving Mercedes in front of him, during FP1 of the Monaco GP. The 40-year-old somehow managed to keep his Ferrari out of the wall, but could have caused some floor damage to his car amid a heavy landing.

Expand Tweet

Hamilton also came over the team radio after the incident, asking to pit after the near-disastrous moment.

"Ah **** mate, so much traffic. I have to box mate, I've gone completely over the kerb."

Hamilton has three career wins around the streets of Monaco, with the most recent of them coming in 2019 with Mercedes. In the last few years, the Briton has not enjoyed the best of times in the Principality, though, having finished outside of the top-5 in three of the four races around the shortest track on the F1 calendar.

About the author

Samyak Sharma is a Motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda, covering Formula One and IndyCar. A graduate in Mass Media and Journalism, he aims to transform his lifelong passion for playing and following sports into a thriving career in sports journalism. He believes that sports naturally deliver the most compelling stories, needing no script to captivate the world.

Samyak is dedicated to providing detailed and insightful coverage, keeping an eye on all developments on and off the track to ensure timely and accurate reporting. He closely follows Max Verstappen, inspired by the Dutchman's ability to balance precision and aggression on the track.

Samyak envisions the continued growth of motorsports globally and hopes to see Formula One return to the V8 engines while still continuing to be sustainable. As for IndyCar, he envisions greater international exposure to rival the global reach of F1.

Outside the world of motorsports, Samyak immerses himself in his love for football and cricket, passionately cheering for his favorite team, Manchester United. He also enjoys catching the occasional tennis match, broadening his appreciation for sports.

Know More

Edited by Hitesh Nigam