Verstappen podium incident 'a shame for F1'

Former F1 driver Timo Glock has labelled the booing of Max Verstappen at the United States Grand Prix as "incomprehensible".

The three-time World Champion took his 15th win of the season and 50th career victory after a challenging drive at the Circuit of the Americas, battling brake issues having started sixth on the grid.

But with a large Mexican contingent in the crowd supporting Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, Verstappen was met with a chorus of boos during his post-race parc fermé interview and on the podium.

The number of booing incidents in F1 has increased in recent years, largely directed at Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, depending which side a certain race's supporter's demographic took from the 2021 championship battle.

Writing in his Sky Germany column, former Jordan, Toyota and Virgin driver Glock said: "Why Max Verstappen was booed after his victory in Austin is incomprehensible to me.

"It may have been due to the issue between Sergio Perez and Red Bull, but Verstappen had nothing to do with that. That's why I can't understand it at all.

It's a shame for the sport because Verstappen is an exceptional athlete who has delivered an incredible performance this year. In my eyes, that's an absolute no-go, and it shouldn't be done."

Hamilton and Leclerc disqualified

Mercedes driver Hamilton and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc were disqualified from their second and sixth-place finishes after their cars were found to have imposed too much wear on their plank skid blocks.

"Of course, you always try to keep the vehicle height as low as possible," explained Glock.

"In Austin, the big problem was that the track was so uneven and the cars touched down very often.

"The two cars were apparently a few millimetres too low, which was the crucial point that the underbody was no longer within the tolerance range at the respective measuring points.

"That can happen when you push the envelope. Too bad for Mercedes and Ferrari, but probably most annoying for Lewis Hamilton, which also affects the drivers' championship against Sergio Perez.