Helmut Marko blames Liam Lawson after middle-finger salute to Sergio Perez

Liam Lawson has been blamed for his ruckus with Sergio Perez by Helmut Marko.

Lawson is gunning to replace Perez in the Red Bull next year but has drawn the ire of Marko, the team’s notoriously brutal chief.

RB driver Lawson, in just his second race since replacing Daniel Ricciardo at the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix, damaged Perez’s car when they tangled.

Perez called Lawson “an idiot” via team radio, and the younger driver shot back a middle-finger gesture.

Marko said to ORF: “[It was] an unnecessary collision, where I see Lawson as being more to blame.”

Marko made it clear that he didn’t want to see aggressive driving between an RB and a Red Bull driver.

“If it had been someone else, yes. But not the sister team,” he stated.

Lawson reacted: “I don't think that's what Helmut likes. It's not my character, not something you should be doing."

He said about swearing at Perez: “It's obviously one of those in the moment things. He spent half the lap blocking me, trying to ruin my race, so I was upset.

“But it's not an excuse. I shouldn't have done it, and I apologise for that.”

Lawson claimed about their clash: “I left him space into (Turn) 4 and was coming in very, very late. Honestly, I tried to give him space.

“He drove me off the track, and then he didn't give me space since Turn 5. So, you know, it's unfortunate about the tension, but I don't know where he wants me to go.”

Lawson’s controversial race in Mexico City, where he finished 16th, adds another layer of intrigue into whether he will replace Perez.

The stage is set for him to impress in the RB enough to warrant becoming Max Verstappen’s teammate next year.

But irritating key decision-maker Marko in Mexico is not what Lawson will have hoped to do.