Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton clashed on track during final practice at the Italian Grand Prix before a staggering result in qualifying
Max Verstappen reignited his legendary feud with Lewis Hamilton at the Italian Grand Prix before a surprise result that left F1 fans stunned.
The flashpoint erupted before the competitive action had even begun in Monza, with the duo getting tangled up during the closing stages of Saturday’s final practice session. Verstappen was gearing up for a quick lap, with Hamilton’s Ferrari trailing his Red Bull. But as he approached the final bend, Hamilton suddenly darted up the inside and the pair found themselves wheel-to-wheel on the corner exit as they both hurtled towards the start-finish straight.
The onboard camera from Verstappen’s machine then captured the moment the Dutchman glanced left before delivering a mocking thumbs-up in Hamilton’s direction as they both hit nearly 200mph. At the opening chicane of the lap, Verstappen then chose to send his Red Bull up the inside as though they were battling for position.
Hamilton spotted it coming and managed to escape the corner in time to prevent contact. “Yeah, he caused that,” Verstappen declared over team radio, while Hamilton merely informed his crew: “Max just blocked me.”
Both drivers emerged from the incident without any car damage, reports the Express. And then things got really interesting.
Alpine driver Pierre Gasly took a stunning pole position in qualifying. The Frenchman, who took his sole Formula 1 victory at this race for Red Bull’s junior team in 2020, beat Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.060 seconds.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was third with the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Hamilton fourth and fifth despite an upgraded engine. Verstappen took sixth, and McLaren’s Lando Norris only ninth after a messy session for the world champion.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes qualified seventh but will start at the back because of a grid penalty for taking a new engine.
The incident between Hamilton and Verstappen stirred up memories of the pair’s notorious collision at that very same chicane five years prior.
It was one of the more unforgettable confrontations between the two title-contending racers during their heated championship duel in 2021, when they collided while vying for position and Verstappen’s car ultimately came to a halt atop Hamilton’s Mercedes.
This time around, the stewards noted the on-track incident between the duo but concluded there was no necessity for further investigation.