F1 News: Max Verstappen Responds To Booing Fans In Austin
Max Verstappen received quite a lot of booing from fans at the Circuit Of The Americas on Sunday after claiming his 50th Grand Prix win. However, he welcomed the hostile reception like it didn't matter.
With the grid getting tighter, Verstappen started P6 but went on to grab the No.1 position. However, a major difference compared to his other race wins was the gap between his RB19 and Lewis Hamilton's W14 being just 2.225 seconds at the finish line.
Listen To The Latest Driven Mad Podcast Episode
But the show of dominance by him and Red Bull ensured they wrapped up the championship standings in Japan and the driver's championship in Qatar. However, it seems as if the Dutchman lacks a fanbase in Austin as he was met with a lot of boos whilst being interviewed by 2009 world champion Jenson Button before stepping out for the podium ceremony.
At first, it was speculated that the booing was directed toward the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott. However, the consistency of the booing, when Verstappen made his way from the car to the podium, confirmed that it was indeed directed toward him.
The reason for the negative expression from fans could be partly attributed to his rivalry with Hamiton who was cheered throughout the United States Grand Prix weekend.
The other major factor at play was mostly the heavy presence of Mexican fans who turned up to support Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver has been reportedly going through a hard time being Verstappen's teammate.
When asked by Viaplay NL whether the booing was annoying, Verstappen replied laughingly:
"No, no.
"In the end, I'm the one who takes the silverware home, so all fine by me!"
There is a high chance that he will receive similar treatment from fans when F1 heads to Mexico next weekend. When asked if he expected an unfriendly reception at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, a confident Verstappen replied:
"Then it's still me who's bringing the silverware home."
