Many view Max Verstappen as the antithesis of Lewis Hamilton. Although this perception might be due to both these F1 titans being at different stages of their respective careers. Still, in certain situations, we have seen them react in a similar manner. Lewis Hamilton may not admit it, but back in 2019, he received the Tifosi’s hostile reception similar to how his arch-rival Verstappen did last season.

The Tifosi booed Hamilton a lot on the podium of the 2019 Italian GP after he finished 3rd in the race. Responding to the hostile booing, the Mercedes driver showed his class and elegantly spoke to the Monza crowd. As per GPBlog.com, he stated post-race how he admired the energy of the Italian crowd.

He said, “The boo is not so nice, but it’s okay, I can have it. I hope that it will change in the future and that we will no longer hear a boo in such a beautiful country. I wish you positivity and only good things in life anyway.”

Lewis had been in a pitched battle with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who eventually won the race in Monza that afternoon. Still, the delighted Tifosi booed him. While, 3 years later, Lewis’s rival Max too was quite cool to embrace the booing after he won the 2022 race in Italy.

As per Autosport, Verstappen stated how booing happens in sport and he disregards it to focus on winning races. He said, “Some people of course they cannot appreciate that because they are very passionate fans of a different team. It is what it is.”

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Verstappen is new to all this booing debacle in the last 2 years. Many F1 champions like Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel have faced this issue on the podium several times.

Recent booing incidents ft. Lewis Hamilton & Verstappen, and will it ever go away?

Booing has become an unceremonious part of F1 that just does not go away. While the majority of fans love to enjoy pure racing action, some fans love the drama between drivers. This may be a root cause of the extra passion of fans that might be channelized via booing and similar gestures.

Besides Monza, Verstappen and Hamilton have experienced booing at several venues. Usually, it has been at the home venues of either of these drivers like Max faced boos from the crowd in Silverstone and Sao Paulo to some extent. Meanwhile, the crowds in Austria, Zandvoort, and Mexico have booed Lewis in the last 2 years. There have been some extreme incidents between fans as well over these drivers’ rivalry.

Former champions Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel have also experienced booing in the past. Rosberg received boos from the British GP crowd in Silverstone in 2014, when he had some incidents with Hamilton during their title fight.

While, Vettel’s domination in the early 2010s earned him a lot of booing from crowds, on the podiums. It wasn’t a pretty sight as the German later expressed in 2013, how the incessant nature of it hurt him.

All in all, it ain’t a great advert for the global outreach of the sport. Expressing passion for the sport is one thing, but as fans, we shall not go overboard which can be harmful to F1’s image as a sport.

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Eventually, as fans, it is our responsibility to control this aspect of F1 fandom. At the end of the day, even the drivers are human and can feel bad. What do you think about booing in F1? Do you think it will go away in the future?