Max Verstappen Won’t Ask Dutch Fans Not To Boo Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton will be booed by the Dutch Grand Prix crowd this weekend at Zandvoort, but hometown hero Max Verstappen says it’s not his responsibility to ask his compatriots not to boo. 

Hamilton was booed by Dutch fans at Hungaroring in August and Spa-Francorchamps this past weekend after colliding with Verstappen at the British Grand Prix.

Rather than take the booing personally, Hamilton brushed it off by saying it “fuels” him to fight harder for the title.

Verstappen said booing his title rival this weekend was inevitable, when asked if he wanted to send a message to fans at Zandvoort.

“I look at it like this, when you go to a football match, you come into the home ground, the opposition will be booed at some point and it’s not up to the local club to go on to the speakers and say ‘guys, you cannot boo,’ as it will naturally happen.

“Also in football, they are very passionate and they support their local team.

“I don’t think it’s up to me to then say ‘guys you cannot boo’ because at the end of the day I am not them and I have to just focus on what I am doing on the track. I am pretty sure that most of them are here for a great weekend to see cars racing and of course, some of them will boo.

“I cannot decide for them. Like you say you can do it and say ‘you cannot do this’, but do you really think they’re going to listen to me? I just hope that they will have a good weekend.”

Verstappen, however, said he did not see the booing as support.

“That would be bad if that would give me an added boost,” he added. “As long as it doesn’t affect Lewis, I guess that’s what you want to hear, right?

“That’s the most important. What I hope from the whole weekend is that everyone is having a good time and they enjoy seeing the cars on the track, seeing us battle it out there for the best possible result,” said Verstappen.