The F1 season has sparked into life in recent weeks thanks to a few thrilling races - however, it appears that tensions are now running high between some of the drivers.
After two consecutive years of Red Bull and Max Verstappen dominance, the competition appears more open in 2024, with Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz all taking race wins across the first nine events of the season.
If the practice sessions at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix are anything to go by, it looks as though that unpredictability is set to continue this weekend, with all of the above drivers joined by George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, and Oscar Piastri in a tense race for pole.
However, it seems as though tensions are boiling over, with the margins tight at the top.
During the third and final practice session on Saturday morning, two bizarre incidents saw Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll appear to drive their cars intentionally into Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton respectively.
READ HERE: Balls Remembers: When An Irishman Nearly Won The 1982 Monaco Grand Prix
READ HERE: ‘I’m In Charge Around Here!’ - The Best Of Martin Brundle's Monaco Grid Walk
F1: Leclerc and Stroll facing investigations after bizarre practice crashes
First up, Lewis Hamilton inadvertently held up the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll by driving slowly on the racing line.
The seven-time F1 world champion quickly realised his mistake, drifting to the outside of the track at turn five while raising his arm to the Canadian in apology.
However, Stroll was incensed and followed Hamilton out wide, allowing his car to nudge the front of the Mercedes in a disappointing move.
Lewis Hamilton and Lance Stroll make some make light contact, which will be investigated after the session ⚔ pic.twitter.com/cvkLMIgi5u
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) June 22, 2024
Even more surreal was that an even more egregious offence was to follow mere moments later from Charles Leclerc.
The Ferrari driver, a race-winner this year in his native Monaco, appeared similarly incensed when he came across the slow-moving McLaren of Lando Norris.
Even though Norris moved to the side of the track to allow the Ferrari by, Leclerc would pull alongside before slowing down and swerving to the left to hit the Brit's car.
"He's going to get a penalty for that!" 😵
Another look at Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc's incident 👀 pic.twitter.com/7PhibKQmg4
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) June 22, 2024
Both Leclerc and Stroll have been summoned to the stewards, in suspected breach of the F1 regulations which state that drivers must not drive "unnecessarily slowly, erratically or in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers or any other person."
The incident sparked memories of one of the most contentious collisions in recent F1 history, when Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel intentionally swerved into Hamilton under the safety car during the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
As that incident happened during the race, Vettel was issued a ten-second stop-and-go penalty - the most severe in-race penalty bar disqualification.
Judging by that precedent, there could be hefty grid penalties in store for Leclerc and Stroll after their inexplicable actions during practice.
SEE ALSO: Charlie Eastwood On Alex Dunne And Hopes For An Irish F1 Driver
