Hamilton hopes Red Bull reflects on "unacceptable" remarks
Lewis Hamilton hopes Red Bull will use Formula 1’s summer break to reflect on its behaviour, after claiming the team’s recent aggressive remarks were ‘unacceptable’ and incited this weekend’s booing.


The Mercedes driver has endured a frosty reception from the largely Dutch crowd at the Hungaroring – with the fan’s boos drowning out his post-qualifying television interviews in the pitlane.
Hamilton says he is in no doubts that comments from Red Bull’s senior management after the British Grand Prix crash with Max Verstappen stirred things up – with the Briton having also been on the receiving end of racial abuse.
And, with Red Bull having had to dismiss a team member for racist remarks, he hopes the squad will step back and use the forthcoming break to ponder if it could have handled things better.
Speaking to F1 about the crowds booing, Hamilton said: “I mean it's not a surprise to me, given the things that have been said from the heads of that team that have incited that.
“I think over this break people really need to look within the things that have been said, because it is unacceptable the things that have been said. And then, on top of that, the things that have escalated the farthest.
“They have just had to fire someone for things that were said by that, and I don't know who it was about. But it doesn't matter who it was about.
"If I pass it to my friend or my father or my brother, we all feel that pain of what they meant by the words.

Pole man Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, fist bumbs Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, in Parc Ferme after Qualifying
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“But the world is changing, and we've got to continue to stay positive. I'm really proud of my team for staying so focused during this time because it's been a whirlwind of emotions and things coming at us in all different directions.
"But we've kept our heads down and come here and delivered and I'm really, really proud of everybody.”
Mercedes has already been clear that it believes Red Bull’s aggressive remarks triggered the racist comments aimed at Hamilton, as it suggested the team had got too personal in its attacks after the British GP.
However, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said several times that it did not feel it did anything wrong – and that it would have lambasted any driver involved in a similar crash with Verstappen.
“It's never been anything personal about a single driver,” Horner remarked at the Hungaroring. “It's about the events that happened and a competition between two guys. It's not individual to any driver. If that had been any other driver, the reaction would have been identical.”
But Hamilton believes that senior figures in F1 need to step up and act better to show a good example.
“We do have to be so careful with our words, particularly as there are young kids watching,” he said. “We are supposed to be shining the light and encouraging people out there, and spreading positivity.
“When you've got leaders of this industry, they need to be leaders. And they have people following them and kids following them, and as a sport, we've got a responsibility.
"So there should be some talks over the next weeks. But either way, it's not got in my way.”
Read Also:

Ricciardo: Current F1 form is a 'sad reality' for now
Alonso looking to gain 'free positions' in Hungarian GP start

Latest news
Team 18's coin toss chassis allocation
Supercars squad Team 18 used a combination of a coin toss and a ping pong ball lottery to allocate its new chassis to drivers Scott Pye and Mark Winterbottom.
BRT not fazed by Ford aero questions
Blanchard Racing Team isn't fazed about the unresolved Ford aero package ahead of its maiden Gen3 Supercars test at Winton tomorrow.
Australian GP releases more race day tickets
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has announced a final limited release of race day tickets.
Tickford unveils first 2023 livery
Tickford Racing has unveiled its first livery ahead of the 2023 season with the covers coming off Brad Vaughan's Super2 entry.
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Nico Hulkenberg: Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? Luke Smith asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.