Max Verstappen was heavily booed on the track after qualifying at Silverstone, and Lewis Hamilton asked the fans to respect the Dutch driver
The 2021 season was marked by an intense rivalry between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in the race for the title, with controversial maneuvers on both sides that left the fans in turmoil. With F1's arrival in England, the home of the seven-time champion, the reigning champion is having to deal with the booing of the English, but Hamilton has taken it upon himself to come out and ask the fans not to be hostile to the Red Bull driver.
Just after qualifying on Saturday, which set the starting grid for the British GP, it was possible to hear the cheers of the fans when Verstappen spun in Q3, unable to take pole position. The driver, who finished second, was also heavily booed when he gave his interview after the session.
Hamilton also had to deal with the same situation coming from Verstappen's fans at other times, but that didn't stop him from asking for respect. "We are better than that," the Mercedes representative said. "We don't need to do that. No booing," he stressed.
"We have great fans, they feel the emotions, but I definitely don't agree with booing. Booing someone doesn't make any difference [in the result for the opponent]," continued Hamilton, who also thanked the support at his home GP - and also didn't miss the opportunity to take a slight poke at the 2021 outcome. "Maybe some are still feeling the pain for last year."
Who also took issue with the crowd's behavior at Silverstone was Toto Wolff. The Mercedes boss pointed out that this is an unsportsmanlike attitude and suggested another way of expressing displeasure at the possible triumph of the opponent. "If you don't like the driver, be silent. No driver deserves [to be booed], regardless of what has happened in the past, in any competition," said the Austrian, who added: "Being booed is abusive.
Verstappen, for his part, admitted that the moment after the qualifying session was "disappointing" and got in the way of his interview, but he shrugged off the booing in England. "If they want to boo, let them do that. For me, it makes no difference."
"I'm always happy to be here, it's a great track, a great atmosphere, overall. Maybe some fans don't like me, but okay. Everyone has their opinions, right? I don't care about that," he closed.