"Ngl I hope they fight each other again": Fans react to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen joking around before the F1 Imola GP 

F1 fans were left amused after Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were spotted having a laugh ahead of the Imola Grand Prix. The two arch-rivals were seen enjoying each other's company and sharing a joke before heading on to the bus for the driver's parade around the Imola track, before the main race on Sunday.

The Mercedes driver was in a relaxed mood before the driver's parade and even took the duties of carrying a boom mic to listen to other driver's conversations for the broadcast.

When he was spotted by Max Verstappen, the two shared a laugh before the parade on Sunday.

F1 fans took to X to react to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's camaraderie:

"Ngl I hope they fight each other again. ATM I always find it hilarious whenever the two get into an encounter on the track like two days ago them blocking Checo. Like two little kids," a fan said.

"It’s weird watching them he along," another wrote.

"I can’t believe Fernando, Lewis, and Max don't literally hate each other wow!" a third fan claimed.

Here are some more reactions:

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Lewis Hamilton analyzes his P6 finish at the Imola GP

Lewis Hamilton stated that he felt his race was 'generally good' after finishing P6 ahead of his Mercedes teammate George Russell.

The seven-time world champion gained a position when Russell made a late pitstop to defend against the fast-charging Red Bull of Sergio Perez. As per F1.com, the British driver said:

"My race was generally good. I had one moment which cost me about five seconds, but my race pace was generally strong so I’m happy with how it went. I made a good start and that was important to get past Tsunoda. From there, I was able to extend my opening stint and that helped me make the one-stop strategy work.

"We’ve taken a small step forward this weekend and we have improved. Unfortunately, that is slightly masked by the step forward others such as McLaren and Ferrari have taken. We will keep pushing to bring more updates that can add performance. Until then, we will make sure we are scoring as many points as we can."

Despite the upgraded W15, Lewis Hamilton finished more than 35 seconds behind Max Verstappen at the end of the Imola GP and was never in contention for the podium against the likes of Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri.

It would be fascinating to see if the Mercedes F1 team would have a better weekend in terms of results at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix this weekend or if they will once again find themselves in 'no man's land' where they cannot compete against their closest rivals.