Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, in a High Performance podcast interview dated June 24, 2026, explained how online harassment from Formula 1 fans led him to completely cut out social media. The New Zealander stated that he muted all F1 accounts on his phone and no longer sees any of the content.
The Mexico incident was the trigger.
Lawson explained that the on-track collision with Sergio Perez during the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix triggered his decision to delete social media apps. Lawson, who hadn't turned off Instagram notifications until then, said that after the race his phone was flooded with extremely harsh comments and private messages from people. In a podcast interview, he stated: "I saw the worst things people could write, the weirdest messages you can imagine." Following this, he deleted social media apps from his phone for the remainder of the season.
The decision's impact on his racing career
Lawson emphasized that this step made a huge difference in terms of mental health. He stated that so much had accumulated in the last 12 months that keeping track of all the unfounded rumors and comments could drive a person crazy. He said he muted all his F1 accounts and no longer sees anything F1-related online, adding that while his close friends occasionally informed him about announcements, he remained completely unaware of them.
Lawson, reflecting on his short F1 career, said that some periods were very difficult at the time, but looking back today he is grateful for those experiences. It's worth remembering that Lawson joined Racing Bulls after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, replacing Daniel Ricciardo, and then signed with the main Red Bull team for 2025, replacing Sergio Perez. However, after completing only two races with Red Bull, he was dropped from the team lineup and returned to Racing Bull, replacing Yuki Tsunoda.