“Not really F1 fans”: Max Verstappen calls out unacceptable behaviour
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Max Verstappen
Ever since the start, Formula 1 has always been a very reclusive sport, reserved for the elite few in the European countries. But when the ownership of F1 changes hands and Liberty Media bought it, the increased publicity of Formula 1 made it a household name in many countries, with a massive audience turning up to watch the Grands Prix and root for their favourite racers. But with the huge head count, there comes the risk of a few trolls and hecklers who criticise the racers unnecessarily and affect the drivers’ morale.
In the 2022 Championship season of F1, there have been a couple of incidents that have shown the audience are filled with some hecklers who boo and take jibes at the racers, and cheer loudly if one of them crashes. Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen has been prey to such misbehaviour, and he is now speaking out to bash those people in the audience who spoil the true spirit of motorsports.
Max Verstappen questions the fans’ devotion to F1
Formula 1 is a sport that always promotes a healthy competition amongst its racers, with no toxic relationship between the title rivals. Even though popular series based on the paddock lives of the drivers, like Drive to Survive, show otherwise, most racers have always been very friendly towards each other for the sake of sportsmanship. But the audience sometimes end up heckling the drivers when their favorite racers do not end up on the podium. Such an incident occurred in Silverstone when Max Verstappen visited there for the British Grand Prix.
Last year, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton had a fierce battle and the young Dutchman came out victorious and won the Championship, while Lewis lost out on a record-breaking eighth title win. The audience at Silverstone still believe Verstappen stole Hamilton’s chance, and thus they booed at Verstappen to show their distaste. And in Austria, where a majority of the audience are fans of Red Bull, the crowd cheered loudly as Lewis crashed during Q3 of the Qualifying.
Such toxic behaviour is undesirable in F1, and Max Verstappen took his stand to call out the fans who did it. He said, “Those people are not really F1 fans.”
He also told The Guardian, “They cannot really enjoy what is actually happening right now, a lot of great drivers actually fighting against each other. They cannot appreciate that and it’s a bit of a shame. How many times do you get to experience stuff like that? Such an intense rivalry or fights. These people are not lovers of the sport.”
Read More: Sebastian Vettel to not appear on F1 TV shows: “I’m not going to be a TV pundit.”
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Riddhi Mondal
(1821 Articles Published)