Lewis Hamilton has spoken out after being branded “f***ing dangerous” by F1 rival Alex Albon during a heated moment in practice at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The dramatic incident unfolded at the high-speed Jeddah street circuit, where tight, blind corners once again proved treacherous. During a practice session, Williams driver Albon came dangerously close to colliding with Hamilton’s slower-moving Mercedes as they approached Turn 9 — a moment that prompted the Thai-British driver to unleash his fury over team radio.
Should Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari face a penalty for this incident? 👀 pic.twitter.com/JAl5ybeA4H
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 18, 2025
Albon, 29, was forced to make a sharp move to the right to avoid crashing into Hamilton’s car and didn’t hold back his frustration, calling the seven-time world champion’s actions “f***ing dangerous.”
FIA stewards launched an investigation into the near miss but ultimately decided against penalizing Hamilton. In their ruling, they noted that while Hamilton had impeded Albon, the move didn’t constitute a hazard.
“As agreed with the teams, unless the impeding during free practice was such that it could be regarded as dangerous, there will be no penalty,” the FIA stated. “During the hearing, the driver of Car 23 (Albon) felt that he had the car under control at all times and while he was impeded, he did not consider the situation to be dangerous.”
The report revealed that although Albon’s initial reaction was harsh, he later softened his stance after reviewing the footage, acknowledging that while the positioning shocked him, it did not amount to a dangerous maneuver.
Hamilton, who remained silent during the initial controversy, later broke his silence and responded to the accusations. “It’s a very fast and challenging circuit, and sometimes things happen so quickly,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to get in anyone’s way. I was managing my space and didn’t realize how quickly Alex was coming. I’m glad nothing happened and we both continued safely.”
Williams team principal James Vowles also weighed in, voicing concerns that more incidents could occur due to the circuit’s layout. “It’s mainly between Turn 5 and Turn 8 — you’re blind, fully loaded on the car, and there’s not a lot you can do. You can lift off, but you can’t brake,” Vowles told Sky Sports F1. “It’s not intentional from Ferrari [sic], but let’s try and be stronger on it because we don’t want an accident.”
The controversy added to Hamilton’s struggles at the Saudi GP, where he finished a disappointing 13th in the second practice session, raising further questions about Mercedes’ current pace in the 2025 F1 season.