Hadjar in hot water with FIA stewards after furious Albon confrontation

The incident took place in the closing stages of FP3, as Hadjar was completing his final preparations for qualifying in Austin. The Frenchman locked up under braking for the opening corner and ran wide, before encountering Albon directly ahead of him.

As the two drivers continued through the corner, Hadjar moved alongside the Williams and appeared to turn his steering wheel towards the Thai driver, raising his arm to express his displeasure. The Red Bull driver also voiced his anger over the team radio.

"What the f**k is he doing? He was sleeping on the racing line," Hadjar complained. The confrontation came after a frustrating session for the Frenchman, who experienced difficulties with the handling of his RB22 throughout FP3.

The incident subsequently attracted the attention of the FIA stewards, who summoned Hadjar following the conclusion of final practice to discuss his actions on track. The stewards will assess the circumstances surrounding the encounter before deciding whether any further action is required.

Hadjar completed the session in tenth position with a fastest lap of 1:35.930, finishing 1.037 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton, who led the way for Ferrari. Max Verstappen finished second in the other Red Bull, just 0.168 seconds behind Hamilton, while Charles Leclerc secured third place.

Hamilton, like Hadjar, was also summoned by the FIA stewards following an incident involving Gabriel Bortoleto during FP3. However, unlike the Red Bull driver, the seven-time world champion was the one who appeared to be impeded, with the Audi driver getting in his way during the session. Despite being on the receiving end of the incident, Hamilton was still called before the stewards to discuss what happened.