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Max Verstappen gives Lewis Hamilton middle finger in USGP first practice

Hamilton and Verstappen practice squabble like "playground activity" - Horner

Max Verstappen gives Lewis Hamilton middle finger in USGP first practice — Photo: © LAT Images

Hamilton and Verstappen practice squabble like "playground activity" - Horner

The championship rivals duelled in FP2 for the USGP

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner likened Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton's United States Grand Prix second practice antics to "playground activity".

The championship rivals engaged early in the weekend with a messy incident down the start-finish straight, narrowly avoiding contact before Verstappen labelled Hamilton a "stupid idiot" whilst providing the Mercedes driver with a one-fingered salute.

Whilst Sky Sports F1 pundit Jenson Button suggested the Dutchman was "rattled", Horner insisted there was "not much to read" from the incident.

"It was like playground activity really," added Horner.

"Obviously, Max had passed Lewis earlier in the lap and Lewis then obviously felt he wanted to pass Max at the end of the lap.

"Then they drove around the first corner and it all got a bit messy. I think Max indicated he had been the first on the road so I wouldn't read too much into it."

Mercedes dominated the first practice session by nine-tenths over Verstappen in third before Sergio Perez topped an unusually slow second session.

Assessing Friday's running, Horner said: "We know Mercedes are quick here, we can see that.

"They ran hard in the morning, in the afternoon we were much tighter. It depends what they have still got left in their pocket and what we can respond with.

"There are some areas we feel we can improve the car quite a bit. It is a different challenge, it is bumpy, it is hot, it is going to make it really interesting."

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