Max Verstappen has spoken out against F1 fans who have booed him and Lewis Hamilton at recent Grands Prix. And he has now been backed up by McLaren ace Daniel Ricciardo, who believes the consumption of beer is no excuse for the bad behavior of fans.
Verstappen faced the wrath of British fans at Silverstone at the end of last month as the Dutchman was booed throughout the weekend. And Hamilton was then also subjected to jeers at the Austrian Grand Prix, with some fans cheering when he crashed into the barriers during qualifying.
The atmosphere at recent races follows the dramatic end to the 2021 season, where Verstappen won his maiden F1 title and denied Hamilton a record eighth after a controversial final lap at the season-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December.
And Ricciardo admits he doesn’t want to see fans treating drivers badly. “Rivalries are great, and the Lewis-Max one last year was awesome,” the 33-year-old said. “Like every sport, you are going to have for and against, so on-track battles and that, you will be cheered or whatever – and that is cool. A rivalry does make the sport, then the fans get behind it and it is good to see.
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Verstappen has been in scintillating form this season and currently leads the Drivers’ Championship standings by 38 points. But he struggled to assert his dominance at Silverstone amid the boos and could only muster a seventh-place finish after damaging the floor of his car. And this week he revealed exactly what he thinks of spectators who jeer the drivers.
“First of all, in every country, the fans in the grandstand decide the atmosphere,” the Dutchman said. “Basically, I think it’s a shame that the fans actually react like football fans. They always boo at the opponent. In the Netherlands they boo Lewis, in England me. I think it’s a pity because we often fight extremely tough, high-quality fights. You have to respect your opponent.”
