Lewis Hamilton does not have a good word for the fans of Max Verstappen who cheered on Friday when he shot off the track during qualifying for the sprint race in Austria. The seven-time world champion hit the wall hard, although he was unharmed.
Hamilton’s crash happened in front of the Verstappen grandstand. Verstappen can count on a lot of support from fans dressed in orange on the home circuit of his team Red Bull Racing.
“I didn’t hear them cheer myself because a lot of things went through my mind during that crash,” Hamilton said on Saturday. ESPN† “To hear this afterwards is disappointing and I certainly do not approve. A driver can just end up in hospital in the event of such a crash. Are you going to applaud that?”
The Brit believes that spectators should show more respect for the drivers. “They know how dangerous our sport is. Why celebrate someone’s bad luck or injuries?” he wondered aloud.
“It shouldn’t have happened at Silverstone”
Hamilton knows that Verstappen experienced something similar during last year’s Grand Prix at Silverstone, Hamilton’s home circuit. The Dutchman then crashed hard on the opening lap, sparking cheers in the stands.
That reaction also condemned Hamilton, who at the time was involved in a fierce battle for the world title with Verstappen. “It shouldn’t have happened at Silverstone then. And it shouldn’t have happened yesterday.”
Hamilton’s crash in qualifying at the Red Bull Ring meant that he only started the sprint race from tenth place. The Mercedes driver managed to work his way up to eighth place on Saturday. The main race in Austria starts on Sunday at 3 p.m.