Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has accused Max Verstappen of committing a "revenge foul" on Lewis Hamilton during Saturday's Sprint Shootout at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Left in the drop zone in the closing stages of SQ1, Hamilton was attempting to find space on a busy track to start a final flying lap, but miscommunication within Mercedes left him unaware that Verstappen was coming up behind him in the closing stages of a flying lap.
Hamilton impeded Verstappen into the final corner, but the Red Bull driver then appeared to obstruct the Brit into the first corner after they had crossed the start-finish line.
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While Verstappen still comfortably advanced through to SQ3, and would eventually top the session, Hamilton's final flying lap was ruined and he was left to start from 18th.
Reflecting on the incident after Hamilton produced a spirited effort to finish 10th in the Sprint as Verstappen won, Wolff said: "The mistake happened on our side.
"The communication between us and Lewis didn't give him the right information to get out of Max's way.
"I think no one wants to be in anybody's way because if you impede, you're getting penalised, so that was not the aim.
"On the other side, Turn 1 was a revenge foul (by Verstappen). It was just to make sure that his (Hamilton's) lap was ruined.
"So one was not intentional, the other one was intentional - but who cares? At the end, we looked at whether it was going to change our race or not…
"But I think they're going to talk about it at the drivers' briefing next week."
Verstappen: I was starting another flying lap
Verstappen, who led home a one-two from Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in the Sprint to extend his world championship lead to 70 points, felt as though he was hard done by.
"He blocked me into the last corner so I had to brake more and I lost like three tenths, so that wasn't ideal, I think not correct," the Dutchman said.
Verstappen rejected the suggestion that he intentionally blocked Hamilton, claiming that the disrupted end to his attempt at a flying lap left him in two minds as to whether to attempt another one immediately afterwards to ensure his progress to SQ2.
It is rare that drivers attempt consecutive complete flying laps, given they would usually take a lap in between to recharge their battery.
"There were still a few seconds on the clock so I wasn't sure if that lap time was going to be safe so I wanted to continue," Verstappen added.
"But ran out of time, space, with the two cars like that, which was a bit of a shame."
Verstappen has the chance to further extend his world championship lead when he starts Sunday's race from pole position.
The 25-year-old is seeking a fifth successive victory as he seeks a third successive drivers' title, while Red Bull are looking to extend a streak of eight consecutive wins to start the season.
Watch the Austrian GP live on Sky Sports F1 from 12.30pm on Sunday with lights out at 2pm.