‘Nasty’ Lewis Hamilton under fire after ‘dangerous’ Spanish GP practice incidents

Lewis Hamilton was branded “dangerous” during Spanish Grand Prix FP1 after multiple blocking incidents at the new Madring circuit. The Ferrari driver was classified fourth as George Russell set the pace, but the session was dominated by angry radio messages.

Why it matters:

Hamilton has been winless since the Barcelona Grand Prix in June and is already dealing with fallout from last week’s clash with Charles Leclerc at Monza. More traffic incidents in Madrid only add to the pressure on his second Ferrari season.

The details:

• Hamilton first blocked Leclerc, who backed off and said: “I don’t think Lewis knew I was coming.”
• Arvid Lindblad was forced to abort a fast lap after finding Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli side-by-side at La Monumental. “They’re just stupid, right in the fast corner… It’s actually very dangerous. It’s been twice now,” the Racing Bulls rookie said.
• Nico Hulkenberg’s verdict: “That’s just nasty.”
• Carlos Sainz reported another moment at Turn 12: “It’s always the same. It’s so dangerous. It takes zero effort to be two metres more to the left.”
• Hamilton was also frustrated by Esteban Ocon’s Haas, raising his hand at La Monumental.

What's next:

A clean FP2 and strong qualifying would quiet the criticism. Another messy session will only intensify the spotlight on a driver already fighting to end a winless run.