Toto Wolff and Christian Horner, heads of Mercedes and Red Bull, demonstrated a rare united stance after Max Verstappen was booed by the crowd at Silverstone.
Mercedes and Red Bull bosses Toto Wolff and Christian Horner demonstrated a rare united stance after Max Verstappen was booed by the crowd at Silverstone.
The Dutchman qualified second on a rainy Saturday after a spin at Stowe, with Carlos Sainz having won his first pole position.
When Verstappen spun on his first quick lap in Q3, the Silverstone fans celebrated, and the championship leader was met with booing at the FIA's post-qualifying interview.
The public hostility is a result of the intense rivalry between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Their title fight last year intensified after the crash at this circuit a year ago.
Reacting to the way the Red Bull driver was treated by the crowd, Wolff insisted, "We shouldn't hear booing in any sport. That is unsportsmanlike."
"Of course we love the support the drivers and the team have here, the enthusiasm is fantastic. If you don't like the other guys, be silent, that would be a good attitude."
"I believe that no driver deserves to be booed, regardless of what happened last year and whatever the competition is."
Agreeing with Wolff, Horner was also unimpressed with the booing directed at Verstappen.
"There's a great crowd here this weekend," Horner told . "It's disappointing to hear the booing, but that's the way it is."
The stance of both is unusual considering the verbal warfare between the two that often exceeded their driver rivalry throughout the championship battle last year.