Max Verstappen has accused Lewis Hamilton and George Russell of trying to push him into a wall during P3 at the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Red Bull star finished third during practice on Friday, behind Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.
Verstappen will still be the favourite to win the Middle East, having secured a remarkable 18 triumphs already this season.
Yet he's been left furious with Mercedes pair Hamilton and Russell, accusing the pair of trying to push him into a wall during practice on Friday.
Max Verstappen has raged at Lewis Hamilton and George Russell following practice for the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
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"They have to move!” he said when asked about the duo.
“They are all driving slow and I want to go out because we are all limited on time and they keep on driving in the middle.
“Then I went to pass, and they tried to squeeze me into the wall. So a bit silly.”
Verstappen has rarely complained this season, with Red Bull dominating F1 for the second year in a row.
Yet the 26-year-old insists his car needs tweaking if they're to end the campaign on a high.
“The balance was very off,” explained the Red Bull star, who has won the last two races in Abu Dhabi.
“A lot of understeer, a lot of jumping so definitely a few things to figure out for tomorrow.
“I didn’t expect it to be so far off so that’s a bit of a question mark for us.
"We’re still P3, it’s not too bad, but balance-wise it can be a lot better.
"We’ll try to have a look at what happened there.”
Russell and Hamilton could only finish sixth and eighth respectively during practice.
And it means Mercedes' hopes of finishing second on the constructors' championship have suffered an almighty blow as a result.
The Silver Arrows are facing up to a first winless season since 2011, having struggled to challenge Red Bull this season.
They possess a four-point lead over Ferrari heading into Sunday's finale.
And Hamilton admits he's concerned for Mercedes as they look to keep their rivals at bay and secure second spot.
“It was not the greatest of days," said the 38-year-old, who hasn't won a race in nearly two years.
"We have had difficult qualifying sessions this year, and getting out of Q1 and into Q2 has always been a tough battle, and getting into Q3 is a challenge.
“The work tomorrow is to try and get into Q3. But it is going to be close.”
Hamilton also reflected on the current war in the Middle East.
He's admitted the war in Gaza has been on his mind in recent weeks, making him 'emotionally drained' as a result.
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Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to win the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday
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He said: “It’s massively disappointing to see how countries and governments are handling it and just to think where we are in 2023.
"With everything through history, it doesn’t look like we’ve learned anything.
“So, to be able to compartmentalize that and just go ahead with your job, I think, is difficult.
"It’s all over social, there’s not a day you don’t see something pop up on the news. You just try to remain positive through the darkest time.”
He added: “I’m not burned out. I’d rather not keep going into the season, but I think for me I’m just more emotionally drained at the end of the year.
“It’s obviously a very long season. I think really with all the negativity in the world as well, it’s been quite draining just to maintain a positive mindset through the year."
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