“It’s never nice to hear boos for any driver,” Christian Horner says cheers will return for Max Verstappen in Austria next weekend
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Max Verstappen and Christian Horner
Christian Horner the Red Bull team Principal has recently shared his opinion on the frosty reaction of fans towards Max Verstappen during Thursday’s walk around the track.
Christian Horner was a bit surprised by the incessant boos that his driver was greeted with at some sections of the track and has indicated that the British fans were not that aggressive towards him in previous years.
It is believed that the reason behind the crowd’s aggressive response towards the 24-year-old could be because of what happened last year between Hamilton and Verstappen and there is also also a contingent of people who believe that this week’s Nelson Piquet incident also had a part to play in the reception that he got from the crowd.
Max Verstappen’s girlfriend Kelly piquet is the daughter of Nelson Piquet and because of this relation, it was thought that Verstappen was treated with boos at the Silverstone circuit.
However, Horner believes that even if the Piquet incident hadn’t happened Verstappen still would have faced a few boos considering Silverstone is the home race of his biggest rival from the 2021 season.
“Max is absolutely clear that he’s fully supportive he stated it in the press conference yesterday.”
“He’s fully supportive of Lewis and, not just Lewis, but just to any form of racism or discrimination in the sport.”
Christian Horner: It is unusual for a British crowd to do that
Horner while delving into the treatment of Verstappen at the hands of British fans has said, “We’re a young team, we’re a very inclusive team. We have a very young following, a very diverse following, and that’s very, very important to us.“
“Lewis is going to have huge support here. You know, next weekend, there’s going to be another home race for us in Austria.”
“I’m sure the team is going to have huge support with another 30,000 Dutch fans there. So you know, that’s sport, isn’t it? That’s competition.”
Despite the crowd’s response, Horner has suggested that Max is not too bothered by it as he is a professional racer and that he understands that booing is also part of the job.
“It’s never nice to hear boos for any driver and it’s unusual for a British Grand Prix crowd to do that because they usually appreciate all drivers.”
“But it’s something that he accepts. Lewis is their favorite driver here, I’ve got no issue with that. Next weekend, I know that there’s going to be a lot of support. He has massive support wherever we go around the world. So you know, it’s one of those things.”
Horner is optimistic about Verstappen as he feels that the Dutchman knows how to handle criticism and how to take it on the chin and keep moving forwards. Moreover, the Brit has also said that his driver is usually the one who is massively supported at other venues on the F1 calendar.
Things are hotting up very nicely after Friday practice, and with Mercedes also showing solid pace it will be interesting to see how Max would be greeted if he is able to secure the pole position after tomorrow’s Qualifying and how the fans are going to react if their favorite Lewis Hamilton somehow manages to get it.
Also Read: Max Verstappen’s RB18 floor required repairs
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