The FIA stewards have delivered their verdict following an impeding incident involving Lewis Hamilton and Gabriel Bortoleto during the final practice session for the United States Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver was obstructed by the Brazilian towards the closing stages of the session, with the incident coming under investigation.

FIA delivers verdict on Bortoleto after Hamilton impeding incident

The incident occurred during FP3 at the Circuit of the Americas, where Bortoleto impeded Hamilton as the Ferrari driver completed his preparations for qualifying. The encounter attracted the attention of the FIA stewards, who subsequently investigated the Brazilian's actions.

Hamilton went on to finish the session at the top of the timesheets, setting the fastest lap ahead of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. The seven-time world champion finished 0.168 seconds clear of the Dutchman, while his Ferrari teammate completed the top three.

Bortoleto's incident was not the only matter investigated by the stewards following final practice. Isack Hadjar also came under scrutiny after a confrontation with Alex Albon at Turn 1, during which the Red Bull driver appeared to steer towards the Williams after becoming frustrated with the Thai driver's positioning on track. The stewards subsequently issued Hadjar with a warning.

After reviewing the incident involving Hamilton and Bortoleto, the FIA stewards decided to issue the Audi driver a warning, with no further sporting sanctions imposed.

Photo: Race Pictures

According to the stewards' report, Bortoleto explained that his race engineer warned him about Hamilton's approach approximately 15 seconds before the incident. However, the Brazilian was occupied with managing his car on the approach to Turn 12 and overlooked the message. He received no further warning before reaching the corner.

Bortoleto also explained that the downhill entry to Turn 12 prevented him from seeing Hamilton until the last moment. He subsequently released the brakes and moved into the run-off area, acknowledging that his reaction came too late and compromised the Ferrari driver's lap.

Hamilton's team representative acknowledged that the incident was not dangerous. Nevertheless, the stewards concluded that Bortoleto unnecessarily impeded Hamilton and issued a warning, consistent with the penalties imposed for similar incidents during free practice sessions.