F1 News: Toto Wolff Reacts To Max Verstappen Booing – “I Think That’s Unsportsmanlike”
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen had a difficult weekend at the British Grand Prix after his car sustained damage to its floor on the Sunday. This led to his car reportedly losing half of its downforce and the driver ended the race in P7 behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.
While fans of the driver were disappointed to see this loss of performance, many of the 400,000 who attended the race were booing the Dutch racer, especially when he span during qualifying.
He told the press the following as he compared his experience to Lewis Hamilton’s in Zandvoort last year:
“Lewis [Hamilton] was not booed that bad in Zandvoort last year. In Zandvoort and Hungary it happened, and then it was a big drama.”
At the time, he sent a message to his Dutch fans asking for them to not boo Lewis Hamilton, as did the 7-time world champion. “I think we’re better than that,” said Hamilton to his fans.
Now Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has added his thoughts, mirroring what Hamilton has said in the past.
“I don’t think we should be seeing any booing in any sports,” he told the likes of RacingNews365.com.
“I think that’s unsportsmanlike. It’s clear that we love the support that the drivers have here, and the team, that’s fantastic.
“But if you’re not into the other guys, just remain silent. I think that that would be a good way.
“None of the drivers deserves any booing, whatever happened last year, whatever the competition is.”
He continued, adding that he loves seeing the passion and emotions around the sport:
“I think if you try to see the positives it is that people are very emotional about drivers and characters and we want to create emotions,” he added.
“Everybody is emotionally engaged and I’d rather have them emotionally engaged: so that’s on the upside. But having said that, the booing goes a step further.
“If you imagine yourself, and I think this was what we need to tell the people, standing out there giving an interview or being on the podium and being booed. It’s abusive.
“If you’re a fan of one of the drivers and not a fan of another then that’s good. But there is a certain limit that we should understand.”