Fans booing Max Verstappen sums up what was a disappointing British Grand Prix weekend for the human error champion
On reflection, the British Grand Prix event probably wasn’t the most satisfying for Max Verstappen. Before the weekend had even begun, an interview from November 2021 had resurfaced of his girlfriend’s dad Nelson Piquet using racist and homophobic language on a Brazilian podcast about Lewis Hamilton. Not only are these epithets disgraceful and shameful which were rightly condemned, but by association, it became an unwelcome PR situation for Verstappen and Red Bull.
From the moment I heard the comments, I was absolutely disgusted, and I am pleased to see senior figures in Formula One have taken a zero-tolerance approach and retrospective action on this matter. The initial silence on the misconduct from Verstappen and Red Bull speaks volumes, despite the defence that actions speak louder than words used by senior figures in the team, having terminated the test and reserve driver contract of Juri Vips for his own racial remarks. He is still however a member of Red Bull's driver programme.
The disconcerting circumstances rather set the tone for the race weekend for Verstappen and Red Bull. The human error champion had been leading the British Grand Prix, until debris on track he had driven over got lodged in the underfloor and slowed his car for the remainder of the race. He went on to finish in seventh place. It was a substandard result and capped off an unpleasant weekend having been booed on several occasions by significant swathes of fans in attendance.
When you consider the motivations of the crowds, it was not unexpected given the context. After the 2021 season ended with a controversial outcome after the race director malfunctioned when he failed to apply the safety car protocols correctly, the Dutchman was always going to be walking into the lion’s den at the 2022 British Grand Prix. It was the first time that Verstappen would be confronted by the legions of Hamilton fans, who clearly wanted to let him know how they felt.
"Just as fans are entitled to support and cheer a driver they like; fans are also entitled to oppose and jeer a driver they dislike"
Furthermore, as a Lewis Hamilton fan myself, it was not unsurprising when you consider how Verstappen and Red Bull conducted themselves at times on and off track during the 2021 season, and it shows that they are one of the most polarising and divisive pairings in the paddock. Nevertheless, the booing that he received at Silverstone drew denunciation from fellow drivers and senior team members disagreeing with the behaviour of fans from the trackside and in grandstands.
Watching the proceedings unfold from home, I found this stance taken towards spectators quite bemusing, as it demonstrates an apparent misconception of what being a fan is all about. Needless to say, professional sport is very competitive, and therefore the fanbases are very tribal, as the entire premise of sport taps into deeply engrained primitive instincts that exist in all humans which were necessary for ancestors to survive. Now that society has developed to a point where people no longer depend on these instincts to remain alive, they have become redundant.
Sporting events are the arena where these evolutionary traits are subsequently played out. Just as fans who like a driver will cheer them, fans who dislike a driver jeer them, it’s the yin and yang of fanbases, which resembles the ecological world we live in, where everything exists in balance. Just as fans are entitled to support and cheer a driver they like; fans are also entitled to oppose and jeer a driver they dislike. You can't have one without the other.
The drivers and senior team members have to accept that or not, and deal with it. Just because the recipient doesn’t like it, or some people disagree with booing, that doesn’t give them the right to stop it. This is where the subject is linked to the legal position that fans have as humans. You see, booing is not an abusive behaviour as some have suggested, which puts a very provocative spin on what is actually a form of protest, and evidently a very powerful and effective one considering the reaction it received.
"You can control the freedom of people by how much money they have, but you can’t control what people think, or how they express themselves"
Some drivers and senior team members expressed displeasure, and I’m now writing a piece on it here. Booing is a deliberate way of catching attention, and here’s the most important part of this debate: protesting via booing is a human right, as it’s a freedom of expression. If Formula One wanted to stamp it out, they could start banning fans from attending events, which would not only be rather pathetic and thin-skinned, but you would have almost no fans attending any races at all.
Look listen, I’m no human rights lawyer, but on that basis, I have reason to believe that if Formula One were to pursue that sort of policy to placate people who disapprove of it in the paddock, it’s likely that they would be committing human rights violations, and it would not stand up as a plausible defence. Because here’s the fundamental crux of the matter: booing isn’t a crime, it’s an intrinsic democratic principle. So the recipient who doesn’t like it, or people who disagree with it, have no legal or moral authority to force fans not to do it.
In other words, booing may not be nice for recipients of it, and people may disagree with it, but it’s a weapon in the arsenal of fans that can be used to express themselves, without any retaliation whatsoever. And that’s quite the liberty when you think about it. You can control the freedom of people by how much money they have, but you can’t control what people think, or how they express themselves, and that is what some drivers and senior team members fear, because they themselves don’t have the power to control those optics, and how it reflects on their reputation.
My own personal experiences of booing have come from sporting events and theatre shows. As an Arsenal fan, I have watched the team play fixtures at the Emirates Stadium in London for years. The temperement of supporters depends on the context, such as the opponent and the scoreline. The atmosphere builds before kick-off when the Arsenal squad enters the pitch to warm up often with cheers from home fans, and jeers from away fans. During the game, in prolonged periods when the Arsenal team are out of possession of the ball, or lose the ball in a promising position, Arsenal fans even moan and groan at them.
"I shall continue to stand up for the human rights of spectators and their freedom of expression to boo if they want to"
Whatever the cause, there is usually a reason for it, and you are unlikely to convince the most passionate and vociferous fans to stop booing, it’s an unrealistic expectation. When Arsenal play fixtures at the Emirates Stadium, they have what is referred to as the home advantage, as the overwhelming majority of fans are supporting the home team, which in theory should help you, making it easier to win the game. That then turns into a disadvantage when they play away from home, when the majority of fans are against you, which should in theory count against you, making it harder to win the game.
This is the exact same situation Hamilton is in when at the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone venue. He is racing at his home circuit, where the overwhelming majority of fans are supporting him and Mercedes, which should in theory help him to win, and give him that extra incentive to do well, as he has the home advantage. And that theory applies for the likes of George Russell, Lando Norris and Alex Albon as well. In other words, the British drivers.
Booing is a way of showing disapproval and displeasure. Nowhere is that better displayed than at theatre shows in pantomime, where it’s in fact actively encouraged by performers on stage to boo and hiss the baddies and cheer and applaud the goodies. It’s a part of the arts, just as it’s a part of sport. These theatrics are what creates the atmosphere, as the interaction and engagement of the crowd adds an emotional connection, which is relatable for spectators watching.
Drivers and senior team members in Formula One are wasting their time trying to discourage fans from booing trackside and in the grandstands at Grand Prix events. I myself am unpersuaded by the arguments that have been made, and I shall continue to stand up for the human rights of spectators and their freedom of expression to boo if they want to. My advice to those that are particularly affected by booing: don’t take it personally, and laugh it off.
In the case of fans booing Verstappen at the British Grand Prix, I’m sure it was an unpleasant experience. But from his response, he was tolerant of it, and brushed it off. In the grand scheme of things, booing is a rather trivial matter. Once again, Formula One finds itself out of step with human rights, this time those of their own fans. Mind you, given the track record the sport has in relation to this topic, it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.
Photo: Getty
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