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.”
Previous article
Ricciardo: Current F1 form is a 'sad reality' for now
Next article
Alonso looking to gain 'free positions' in Hungarian GP start
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences.
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
The "forced break" that was key to Ricciardo's Monza excellence
OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo has long been considered one of Formula 1's elite drivers. But his struggles at McLaren since switching from Renault for 2021 have been painful to watch at times. Yet he's recovered to banish those memories with a famous Monza win – built on a critically important foundation
Italian Grand Prix driver ratings
Two drivers produced faultless performances as, for the second year in a row, Monza threw up an unpredictable result that left many to rue what might have been
Why Ricciardo would have won without Verstappen/Hamilton crash
The clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was the major flashpoint the 2021 Italian Grand Prix will be remembered for. Yet by this point, race leader Daniel Ricciardo had already done the hard work that would put him in position to end his and McLaren's lengthy win droughts, on a memorable afternoon in Monza
Why Italian GP success is on for McLaren even if Verstappen dominates
For the second time in 2021, McLaren will line up for the start of a grand prix from the first row. It knows it has the chance of "glory" if things go well for Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris at the start of the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, but even if they just maintain their grid positions, signs from the rest of the Monza weekend suggest success is very possible for Formula 1's other orange army
How Formula 1 has made itself unattractive to new teams
OPINION: The Formula 1 cost cap has been billed as a saviour to several teams and helped to guarantee their viability for investors. But there already exists another mechanism that effectively had the same purpose, and serves as a strong deterrent for those with the means to go it alone in setting up a new team
