Max Verstappen was greeted with loud jeering during the 2023 Miami GP weekend. The Dutchman faced rounds of booing by fans as he stepped on the podium to collect the trophy for his 38th career race win.
However, the 2x world champion received a rather hostile welcome from Miami fans. He faced boos from the crowd and Mexican Sergio Perez fans ahead of the race start. A recent video taken by a fan at the race shows the driver being insulted by fans before the race.
Video shows fans showing the middle finger to Verstappen ahead of the race start
A recent video taken before the start of the race shows a group of fans constantly swearing and insulting Max Verstappen. The video, shared by Twitter user ‘₊˚ joséphine’, shows a group of fans showing the middle finger to Red Bull mechanics and Verstappen ahead of the race start.
The fans were constantly shouting “F*** you” at the 2x champion, who was starting 9th on the grid. The fans’ swearing caught the attention of the mechanics tending to the Dutchman’s car.
The Red Bull mechanics remained calm and did not react to the angry fans. A camera personnel can be seen taking a video of the incident from the track, while another mechanic blew kisses to the fans.
Max Verstappen is not bothered by the crowd’s reaction
Max Verstappen feels empowered by the booing heard from crowds at Miami GP weekend. The Dutchman claims that crowds react this way only when you are difficult to beat.
He spoke after the race, “I think it’s normal when you’re winning and they don’t like who is winning. So this is something for me which is fine. As long as I stand on the top, that’s for me the most important.
The jeering by the crowds is, therefore, proof for Verstappen that he is currently the best driver on the grid. He added, “I take the trophy home and they go back to their houses and they can have a nice evening.”
Although fans can get quite emotional after a race, it is extremely distasteful to insult drivers. A lot of drivers have recently faced offensive and disturbing reactions from fans following crashes, wins, etc. These actions must be discouraged as they demean the morals of the sport.
