Toto Wolff has labelled the behaviour of fans who booed Max Verstappen at a United States Grand Prix event as "unacceptable". There has been continued discussion off-track surrounding Red Bull's breach of the 2021 budget cap, with the topic sparking strong opinions from many in the paddock as well as fans of the sport. Over the F1 weekend at the Circuit of the Americas, Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez attended a fan event where they received boos and calls of "cheater" from a seemingly small minority in the crowd. Footage has emerged of the incident on social media.
https://twitter.com/lewis_nation/status/1583866878518173696
This just happened 😳 #USGP #AustinGP pic.twitter.com/AycEzn0zSp — LewisNation (@lewis_nation) October 22, 2022
Wolff: Nobody wants to see booing
Whilst booing is not a new occurrence during the 2022 season, Wolff has reiterated his viewpoint that such behaviour is not wanted in F1. "That is unacceptable," the Mercedes boss told Sky Germany . "The booing, whether it's on the podium or on the fan stage, nobody wants to see that. "I think we [Formula 1] have done a lot against this kind of behaviour. It is somewhat contained and it doesn't belong here either. Something like that should not happen."
Wolff calls for 'everyone to get on the same page'
There have previously been incidences of booing and unwanted fan behaviour at other races, with Formula 1 making a statement on the issue during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. In the same month, the Drive it Out initiative was launched to end any kind of abuse within the sport. Wolff hopes that the issue can be tackled following different drivers being targetted. "It goes both ways. In Austria it was against Lewis, here [at the United States Grand Prix] it is massively against Max," Wolff said of the booing. "We have to get everyone on the same page. We fight hard on and off the track, but we don't have that kind of hostility towards each other."
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