Max Verstappen is expected to face a hostile environment at the upcoming race in Silverstone after he collided with British driver Lando Norris at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. Although such is the expectation, the race organizer of the British GP has claimed that the fans will fairly treat the three-time champion. Speaking of the same, British GP’s chief Stuart Pringle as quoted by Sky Sports said,
“I’m absolutely sure of that. Our fans are first and foremost fans of sport. But actually what British F1 fans recognise is a great performance, and let’s be honest, when Max has won in the last two or three races pre-Austria, the thing that’s made the difference has been his personal performance. And people have recognised that in this country and across the sport, so I have no worries about that.”
Max Verstappen will be treated fairly by fans at Silverstone, says British GP boss Stuart Pringle | Sky Sports F1
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However, the fans might not agree with Pringle. Verstappen did himself no favors after he refused to accept the blame for colliding with Norris. Hence, the fans are expected to strongly back Norris, who himself will be looking to exact revenge against Verstappen.
Lando Norris Vs Max Verstappen renews the Dutchman’s rivalry with the Brits
Norris has effectively taken over the baton from Lewis Hamilton and assumed the responsibility of continuing the Verstappen Vs the Brits rivalry. The incident in Austria came at a perfect time to intensify this rivalry. Now, the fans are invested in it, and it seems that even the inflated ticket prices won’t hamper the turnout.
Due to the ticket price hike, it was expected there would be empty seats during the British GP weekend. There was immense criticism surrounding the same on social media once the ticket prices were made public. However, the performances of the British drivers in recent weeks have helped turn things around, with the sale of more tickets.
Pringle confirmed the same by saying, “There are still a few tickets left but it’s in the hundreds rather than thousands. It will be a sell-out by the weekend, of that I’m completely certain. And that’s what competition and a bit of spice in the sport brings.”
Norris, Russell, and Lewis Hamilton will be the main contributing factors for the turnout at Silverstone on the coming weekend. However, it seems that the intensifying rivalry between Norris and Verstappen may now help the ticket sales as well.
