Brit F1 fans all did same cruel thing at British Grand Prix and it reveals a stark truth

Wales Online

a day ago

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There is a peculiar, almost uniquely British tradition once a year in the UK in that thousands of us head off to cheer the heroes and boo the villains at the pantomime.
We love to show our disdain for the baddies almost as much as we like to applaud and shout encouragement to the goodies.
It's all tongue in cheek of course - and the villains normally get their comeuppance and turn out to be not quite as bad as made out.
But the tradition and others in the UK, like cheering on the underdog, does not just end at the theatre, it's found in sport as well.
There are of course the traditional rivalries and partisanship in sport - a lot of which is far from tongue in cheek. People want their team to win and get quite annoyed when they don't.
However, there is one thing fans will always unite behind strongly and that's perceived injustice against their man, woman, or team, and/or adjudged cheating on the part of the opposition. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
At the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on the weekend of July 4/5/6, a good chunk of the 500,000 fans who gathered over the course of the weekend were there to support Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris or George Russell - the three Brits with a chance or victory or at least a podium.
(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Norris drives for McLaren and there was a fair dosage of papaya orange among the supporters, the colours of the McLaren F1 team, and also plenty of Ferrari red and banners backing Hamilton in his first season with the Italian team.
As well as their nationality, both drivers, and Mercedes man Russell to an extent, all have one other thing in common - they have all clashed multiple times with a certain Dutch-Belgian Red Bull driver and four-times world champion Max Verstappen.
It's fair to say that Verstappen has thoroughly annoyed fans of Hamilton and Norris in the past. He fought a long and bitter season against Hamilton in 2021 in which the pair clashed repeatedly on track.
(Image: Getty Images)
Verstappen's race tactics were frequently called into question, by fans and race stewards, the latter of whom penalised him on a number of occasions for allegedly breaking the rules of fair racing.
Hamilton also received penalties during the season as their fight became ever more contentious.
The British driver looked to have overcome his rival to claim a record-breaking eighth world championship and deny Verstappen his first when a controversial decision by the race director at the time at the end of the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, allowed Verstappen one final lap on fresh tyres to overtake Hamilton on his ageing set and see the Dutchman claim the title.
It was far from just Hamilton fans who saw this as a huge injustice. The race director's decision and interpretation of the rules which led to it was the subject of long debate and all but the most ardent of Verstappen fans probably knew in their hearts that Hamilton had been the victim of a serious wrongdoing.
(Image: Formula 1 via Getty Images)
That decision may have been nothing to do with Verstappen, but the cards had been dealt and, combined with what had happened during the rest of the season and incidents in those prior, the role of villain had been cast, at least in the eyes of many British fans and probably every fan of Hamilton.
Verstappen had already faced boos at some circuits prior to that, a shame considering his immense talents, but the driver did little to warm hearts to him when his questionable race tactics emerged on more occasions following.
Chief among these were his clashes with another Brit and emerging championship challenger, Lando Norris, in the 2024 season.
The two, friends off track, clashed on a number of occasions on it, with Verstappen often perceived to have stretched and sometimes broken the rules of fair racing once more.
(Image: Getty Images)
I'm sure many see Verstappen's tactics in a different light and will defend his driving to the hilt. Often these things are far from clear cut in the heat of the moment when you are braking from 200mph to make a corner.
Verstappen is certainly one of his own strongest advocates and rarely admits any fault.
But that's what probably angers people more than anything. They can more easily accept mistakes when the person perceived to have made them throws up their arms and admits them.
It is Verstappen's dogged refusal to do so, rightly or wrongly, that grates on people.
Hand on heart, few would question Verstappen's talents. His ability to get the absolute best out of himself and his car is probably second to none. He's already rightly considered one of the best drivers of all time, and not just because of those four world titles.
But everything I have explained is the reason why, at the British Grand Prix, and you may not always hear this on the TV, when he makes a mistake or gets overtaken, a cheer will go up.
There was a roar from the crowd at Silverstone this year - 2025 -when Verstappen spun his Red Bull at the end of one of the safety car periods . People cheered and clapped gleeful at his misfortune.
It seems cruel and it is - it's hardly the sportsmanlike behaviour we'd like to see from the fans.
But it's just the way of it. No-one wants to see Verstappen get hurt. But a large number of those fans at Silverstone would struggle to conceal a smile at seeing him suffer a few misfortunes along the way - especially if it's to the gain of a Norris, or a Hamilton, or a Russell.
(Image: Formula 1 via Getty Images)
When Nico Hülkenberg steered his Sauber home in third at the British Grand Prix in 2025 it denied home favourite Hamilton his first Ferrari podium (other than his sprint race win in China).
While many Hamilton fans may have been disappointed not to see the British driver claim third, it's unlikely they begrudged German driver Hülkenberg his first ever, much deserved podium in F1.
And that's the difference - Hülkenberg has never worn the villain's clothes in the same way Verstappen has, so people can be happy for him even when he denies their favourite a better result.
For years Sebastian Vettel earnt similar ire from some F1 fans for various reasons, including controversial moments at the height of his career - but he eventually shook that off and you'll struggle to find anyone having a bad word to say about him these days.
Verstappen may well end up in the same position one day. But for now, in the minds of many British fans particularly, he wears a villain's hat, cloak and shoes and that's why they'll continue to cheer his misfortune, little and often as it is. Oh yes they will.