October 23, (THEWILL) – Red Bull’s Sergio Perez recorded the fastest time during the US Grand Prix practice session but the highlight was the clash between title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
During the opening day’s running, there was a brief flashpoint between the title rivals, separated by only six points in the standings, which was unusual for a non-competitive Friday.
Following an incident in which the two raced side by side down the pit straight, Verstappen called Hamilton a “stupid idiot” over the radio after Hamilton overtook him going into the final corner.
As they accelerated out of the corner, Verstappen raised his middle finger at Hamilton.
“We were all lining up to go for our lap so I don’t really understand what happened there,” said Verstappen, who later aborted his qualifying simulations after being frustrated by traffic.
Hamilton set the fastest time of the session, but it was disqualified due to a minor track limit violation at Turn 19. He set a time that was 0.1 second faster than Perez’s.
Verstappen, who leads Hamilton in the championship by six points with six races remaining, did not set a representative time and finished eighth in the practise session.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
