Lewis Hamilton has hit out at the fans who cheered his qualifying crash at the Austrian Grand Prix, describing their actions as "mind-blowing". Hamilton lost control of his car through the Red Bull Ring's high-speed Turn 7 during the decisive Q3 phase, leading to a heavy impact with the barriers. As the Briton gathered his thoughts, fans around the circuit - many supporting Hamilton's 2021 title rival, Max Verstappen - erupted in celebration.
Hamilton: You should never cheer someone's downfall
Reflecting on the situation after the F1 Sprint race, in which Hamilton placed eighth, the seven-time World Champion issued a clear message to fans. "I didn't hear them during... I was going through a bunch of stuff in the crash," Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365.com . "But to hear it afterwards, I don't agree or condone any of that – no matter what. "A driver could have been in hospital, and you're going to cheer that? I mean, it's just mind-blowing that people will do that, knowing how dangerous our sport is. "I'm grateful that I wasn't in hospital and I wasn't heavily injured. You should never cheer someone's downfall, someone's injury or crash."
Hamilton also takes issue with fans at Silverstone
Conversely, during Hamilton's home event at Silverstone, fans were heard booing Verstappen across the weekend. Hamilton also took issue with their actions as he pushes for respect across the board. "It shouldn't have happened at Silverstone, even though it wasn't obviously a crash," he commented. Asked if it has been difficult to go from his home support in Britain to the orange-filled grandstands in Austria, Hamilton signed off: "No, because all I remember is last week!"
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