Road rage comes to Imola. And, as sure as the sun sets in the west, the spat involved Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who came within inches of colliding.

Fury rising, Verstappen believed he was being impeded by Hamilton while on a flying lap during practice for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The Dutchman tugged his right hand low on the steering wheel to veer close to Hamilton’s front-left wheel as he passed him, before slowing down and shaking his left fist – and head – in frustration.

Hamilton had just waved his hand in apology to the Dutchman, who requires minimal stimulus to sharpen his elbows, and by that point the red mist had descended.

‘It’s not the first time,’ said Verstappen of the blocking. ‘You try to stay calm about it. But it happened again. I don’t want to talk about it too much because that’s not our issue today.’

Max Verstappen was very upset by Lewis Hamilton’s obstruction during his flying lap at Imola