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Max Verstappen called Lewis Hamilton a ‘stupid idiot’ during a highly-charged flashpoint in practice for the US Grand Prix.
The Dutchman then raised his middle finger at his title rival after they went wheel-to-wheel down the main straight. ‘Ignore it,’ urged Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.
Clearly rattled, Verstappen, who leads Hamilton by six points going into the final six races, later aborted his programme because he was caught in traffic.
Max Verstappen (left) ran off the track coming off the final corner with Lewis Hamilton close by
The duo then wrestled for position on the track heading down the main straight in practice
‘I’m boxing,’ said the Red Bull star, who then pitted.
‘Let’s just get the long runs done here. I’m over these short runs.’
Verstappen ended the day eighth fastest due to his lack of running. His side-kick Sergio Perez set the pace, with Hamilton third best, a place behind his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Afterwards Verstappen, who was squeezed off track in his run-in with Hamilton, said: ‘We were all lining up to go for our laps, so I don’t really understand what happened.’
Bottas is taking a new engine that slings him down the grid and, more importantly, raises doubts over the reliability of Mercedes’ power in general. If Hamilton needs another new engine, it could drastically impact the outcome of the season.
Lewis Hamilton ended Friday practice with the edge over title rival Max Verstappen
Hamilton (above) ended a lively second session third fastest for Mercedes at the US Grand Prix
Another unknown factor is the Covid menace. Nobody testing positive would be allowed to race. Verstappen, who has not caught the virus so far and avidly wears a mask, said: ‘I try not to think about it too much. I cannot lock myself up at home all the time. If you get it, you get it, and you are super unlucky.
‘There are people that have been very strict about it and…
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Source : dailymail
