Hamilton plans to surf in a sea of orange at Zandvoort
Lewis Hamilton says he won’t be put off by booing from arch-rival Max Verstappen’s orange-clad fans at the Dutch GP on Sunday
02 September 2021 - 19:53
byAgency Staff
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Provocative: Lewis Hamilton arrived at Zandvoort, the Netherlands, on Thursday wearing an orange outfit in an apparent riposte to the fans of Max Verstappen, his main rival for this year's F1 title.
Picture: REUTERS
Lewis Hamilton is braced for a barrage of boos from Max Verstappen’s Orange Army at the first Dutch Grand Prix in 36 years but the seven times world champion hopes to turn it to his advantage.
About 70,000 fans will be at Zandvoort every day this weekend and Hamilton, three points clear of his Dutch Red Bull rival in the standings, can expect a hostile reception.
Hamilton, who arrived at the seaside circuit on Thursday nonchalantly wearing an orange outfit and told reporters that the colour suited him, said it was to be expected.
“I’ve never been someone that would go to an event and boo but you understand it,” said the Mercedes driver when asked about some other races where Verstappen fans have been present in numbers.
“You see it at football events. It’s just the passion that the fans have, or the dislike that some of them have for their opponents. I respect it ... I know I do have some Team LH fans in the Netherlands. There will probably be a small portion in the grandstands out there and I admire them for being able to withstand the boos too.”
Hamilton, who maintains British F1 fans don’t jeer the opposition, said he would aim to turn the negative energy into a positive “and try to put it into the driving”.
Verstappen has won six of the 12 races this season to Hamilton’s four, but has suffered incidents — including a first-lap collision between the pair at Hamilton’s home race in July, won by the Briton.
The two have shown plenty of respect for each other on and off track, while racing hard, and Verstappen said that while he could not condone the booing he could do nothing to stop it either.
“When you go to a football match, you come into a home ground and the opposition will be booed at some point and it’s not up to the local club to go to the speakers and say ‘guys, you cannot boo’ because it will naturally happen,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s up to me to say, ‘guys, you cannot boo’, because I am not them and I have to just focus on what I’m doing on the track.
“I’m pretty sure most of them are here for a great weekend to see cars racing and of course some of them will boo, but I cannot decide for them. You can say ‘you cannot boo’, but do you really think they are going to listen to me?”
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
FORMULA ONE
Hamilton plans to surf in a sea of orange at Zandvoort
Lewis Hamilton says he won’t be put off by booing from arch-rival Max Verstappen’s orange-clad fans at the Dutch GP on Sunday
Lewis Hamilton is braced for a barrage of boos from Max Verstappen’s Orange Army at the first Dutch Grand Prix in 36 years but the seven times world champion hopes to turn it to his advantage.
About 70,000 fans will be at Zandvoort every day this weekend and Hamilton, three points clear of his Dutch Red Bull rival in the standings, can expect a hostile reception.
Hamilton, who arrived at the seaside circuit on Thursday nonchalantly wearing an orange outfit and told reporters that the colour suited him, said it was to be expected.
“I’ve never been someone that would go to an event and boo but you understand it,” said the Mercedes driver when asked about some other races where Verstappen fans have been present in numbers.
“You see it at football events. It’s just the passion that the fans have, or the dislike that some of them have for their opponents. I respect it ... I know I do have some Team LH fans in the Netherlands. There will probably be a small portion in the grandstands out there and I admire them for being able to withstand the boos too.”
Hamilton, who maintains British F1 fans don’t jeer the opposition, said he would aim to turn the negative energy into a positive “and try to put it into the driving”.
Verstappen has won six of the 12 races this season to Hamilton’s four, but has suffered incidents — including a first-lap collision between the pair at Hamilton’s home race in July, won by the Briton.
The two have shown plenty of respect for each other on and off track, while racing hard, and Verstappen said that while he could not condone the booing he could do nothing to stop it either.
“When you go to a football match, you come into a home ground and the opposition will be booed at some point and it’s not up to the local club to go to the speakers and say ‘guys, you cannot boo’ because it will naturally happen,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s up to me to say, ‘guys, you cannot boo’, because I am not them and I have to just focus on what I’m doing on the track.
“I’m pretty sure most of them are here for a great weekend to see cars racing and of course some of them will boo, but I cannot decide for them. You can say ‘you cannot boo’, but do you really think they are going to listen to me?”
Reuters
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