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Journalism of Courage
Formula one racing driver Lewis Hamilton has blasted the fans at the Austrian Grand Prix for cheering when he crashed in the qualifying race.
The Mercedes driver veered out of control on Turn 7, crashing into the barriers, close to the stands packed with Dutch fans of his 2021 title rival Max Verstappen. The crash was severe enough to damage the car’s survival cell or monocoque, the last line of defence between the driver and the car. It’s built out of 6mm of exceedingly strong carbon fibre composite with a layer of penetration-resistant Kevlar.
Hamilton emerged unharmed but even as he was still in his vehicle, the fans started to cheer.
“I didn’t hear them cheering; I was going through a bunch of stuff in the crash,” he said on Saturday. “To hear it afterwards, I don’t agree or condone that. A driver could be in [the] hospital and you are going to cheer that?”.
“It’s just mind-blowing that people would do that, knowing how dangerous our sport is. I’m grateful that I wasn’t in hospital and I wasn’t heavily injured. You should never cheer someone’s downfall or someone’s injury,” Hamilton said.
Last weekend at Silverstone, Verstappen was booed during his post-qualifying interview and Hamilton had criticized the fans for their behaviour. “I think we are better than that,” he said then.
Hamilton will start Sunday’s grand prix in eighth place, his finishing position in Saturday’s sprint event.
