F1 News: Max Verstappen Responds to Lewis Hamilton Anger – 'It Happened Again!'

Another clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at the Imola's FP2.

Tensions flared during Free Practice 2 at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as Max Verstappen critiqued Lewis Hamilton for impeding his lap. This incident marks another chapter in the ongoing on-track friction between the two drivers.

Imola's second free practice session saw the simmering tensions between Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton. The session, which saw Ferrari's Charles Leclerc leading the timesheets once again, was punctuated by a controversial moment that reignited a familiar feud between Verstappen and Hamilton.

The reigning champion faced a number of challenges with his car’s setup and traction throughout the session, particularly on soft tires, but his anger around the situation was only amplified by Hamilton getting in his way. This isn't the first instance of such an incident, as the two champions have had their fair share of on-track altercations in the past, and the Briton had already impeded both Max and Fernando Alonso earlier in the day. “It’s not the first time,” Verstappen said. The Dutch driver’s frustrations were evident as he continued: “You try to, of course, always stay calm about it, but it happened again.”

Hamilton, on his part, acknowledged his mistake during the cooldown lap that led to the blockage. “I was on a cool-down lap, I thought I would have been well clear but all of a sudden he was like right on me,” Hamilton explained. “Ultimately it was my mistake and I tried to apologize, but I think he was too frustrated already.” This apology seemed to do little to quench the heat of the moment.

Alonso also aired grievances over the radio: “Hamilton thinks that he's alone on the track. It's the second lap he does it. Turn 12, and now Turn 7.”

The practice session was rife with other noteworthy performances that set the tone for the weekend's racing. Oscar Piastri and Yuki Tsunoda secured the second and third fastest times, respectively, signaling strong outings from their ends - albeit with the usual practice caveat.

Source: Sky Sports F1