Verstappen criticises boos: 'Pity those people don't appreciate it'

The rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton in last year's battle for the F1 world title intensified with each race and this was particularly noticeable along the track. Especially after the incident between the two at Silverstone in 2021, the crowd audibly joined in the fray. Verstappen fans repeatedly booed when Hamilton won or performed well. Last week at Silverstone the British fans did the same back to Verstappen. In Austria, where thousands of Dutch and Verstappen fans are present, there were also boos for the Mercedes driver and celebrations after his crash.

Verstappen not happy with boos

In an interview with The Guardian Verstappen condemns all the booing: "Those people are not real F1 fans. They can't really enjoy what's happening at the moment; there are a lot of great drivers fighting each other hard right now. They can't appreciate that and that's a shame. How often do you get to see such intense rivalries and fights? These people are just not fans of the sport." The Dutchman's harsh words also demonstrate his indifference to the personal negative treatment.

Although Verstappen is the reigning world champion and is a lot more calculating than he used to be, many F1 fans still see the Red Bull driver as a temperamental or aggressive driver. The fact remains that Verstappen has won an F1 championship with his driving style and is heading for his second this year. The Dutchman himself says: "I've always wanted to be myself and drive like myself."