Watch: Kimi Antonelli furious with Lewis Hamilton for F1 Austrian GP FP2 impeding incident

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli had a tense clash with Lewis Hamilton during the FP2 session of the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix. Antonelli accused the seven-time world champion of impeding him, as he had to go wide to avoid a crash.

The incident happened during the second free practice session of the 2025 Austrian GP on Friday, June 27. Antonelli was on an outlap and approached Hamilton at turn 4. The rookie took the outside line to pass him, but the Ferrari driver left no space.

Fearing a crash, Antonelli went wide off the track to overtake Hamilton and was furious at the latter for blocking his way.

"Mate, what is wrong with these people? Honestly," Antonelli said on team radio.

On the other hand, Hamilton was apologetic and argued that he didn't see the rookie approaching. He went ahead on the straight and raised his hand out to apologize to Antonelli.

However, trouble is still mounting for Lewis Hamilton. FIA stewards have noted the incident, and the 40-year-old will be investigated after the race for impeding. If found guilty, he could likely face grid penalties for the main race on Sunday.

This year, Hamilton is already finding it difficult to settle into his routine with Ferrari. In 10 races, he has 79 points and zero podiums in Grand Prix races. Moreover, this weekend, the Italian team has introduced an upgrade package to find a way to improve and close the performance gap to rivals.

On the other hand, Kimi Antonelli, who replaced Hamilton at Mercedes, scripted history by winning his career's first podium (P3) at Canada. He became the youngest driver in F1 history to win a podium. Not only that, Mercedes finished with double podiums as George Russell registered his maiden victory of the season as well.

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Lewis Hamilton lays down his expectations from Ferrari's new upgrade

Lewis Hamilton at the F1 Grand Prix of Austria - Source: Getty

For the 2025 Austrian GP, Ferrari has introduced a new floor as part of their upgrade plan. However, Lewis Hamilton, who desperately demanded an upgrade in Canada earlier this month, stated that his expectations are low for this package.

Talking to Sky Sports, he said:

"The team have worked really hard to bring a new floor. We don't know what kind of step it is so I'll find out tomorrow. You always want upgrades, so I'm grateful for every little bit, whether it's a small or big piece. What I would say is, don't expect much change."

Regardless, Lewis Hamilton is grateful that Ferrari has taken the necessary steps to move forward and fix the underlying issues of the car.

Currently, Ferrari is competing with Mercedes for second place in the constructors' championship. After a double podium finish in Canada, the Silver Arrows climbed up to P2 with 199 points, whereas Ferrari dropped to P3 with 183 points.

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar