Verstappen Frustrated by Hamilton Block in Emilia Romagna GP Practice: A Recurring Issue Amidst Red Bull’s Struggles

Verstappen Responds to Hamilton's Obstruction During Imola Practice Session

Max Verstappen has commented on the recent interference by Lewis Hamilton during the second practice session at Imola.

Max Verstappen has remarked that this wasn't the initial occasion he's been obstructed by Lewis Hamilton, following a tussle between the two during the second practice session at the F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

During the second free practice session (FP2) on Friday at Imola, the competition heated up between the 2021 championship contenders when Lewis Hamilton, moving at a slower pace, obstructed Max Verstappen's path during one of the Red Bull racer's quick laps.

Hamilton seemed to quickly accept blame for the close call, signaling an apology to Verstappen, who had moved ahead of the Mercedes driver.

Verstappen was clearly annoyed by Hamilton's maneuvers, even though the two never actually collided.

"This isn't a new occurrence," he shared with F1TV. "Obviously, you aim to keep a level head in these situations. But indeed, it's happened once more.

"However, on the opposite side, I prefer not to delve into it excessively, as it's not the main topic of our discussion right now."

Verstappen wasn't the sole racer irritated by Hamilton's maneuvers on the track, as Fernando Alonso also expressed frustration towards the seven-time world champion for a different occurrence during the initial phase of FP2.

The driver of the Aston Martin voiced his frustration on the team radio, stating, "Hamilton acts as if he's the only one racing on the track!"

Verstappen faced an unusually challenging day, encountering difficulties with his RB20 in both sessions.

The current world champion, who is also leading the championship, finished the day in seventh place, more than half a second slower than the leading Ferrari car piloted by Charles Leclerc. His Red Bull colleague, Sergio Perez, came in just behind in eighth place.

Verstappen acknowledged that Red Bull significantly lacked speed at Imola.

"It was a challenging day. Struggling to find the right balance and simply not feeling at ease in the car; it was quite unstable," Verstappen described.

Misplacing the vehicle can happen effortlessly, hence there are several aspects we need to examine, especially today. The experience was simply poor, far from comfortable. Additionally, the extended journey turned out to be quite dreadful.

"Certainly, there are several aspects we need to enhance to stand a chance in tomorrow's competition. Our performance today fell significantly short of the required standard, which must be addressed."

He further commented, "I suppose it couldn't possibly be more dreadful than today's experience, could it?"

"We're going to review some areas for improvement for the next day. However, it seems that our competitors have advanced somewhat. From our perspective, it was simply an off day."

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