"It's just very silly"- Max Verstappen lashes out at 'stupid' fans for throwing flares on track in Dutch GP qualifying

Max Verstappen has lashed out at fans who threw flares on the track during the Dutch GP qualifying on Saturday.

The qualifying session in Zandvoort was red-flagged when a spectator threw flares on the track in Q2. The person was whisked away by security, but the disruption left a lot to be desired in terms of crowd behaviour.

Talking about the incident, Verstappen was clearly not happy with what happened and lashed out at the people who did it. The Red Bull driver - who clinched pole - said that it's dangerous to throw flares on the track, and it's an avoidable disruption for both fans and drivers.

"Yeah, it's just very silly to do. To hold flares already, it's nice, but of course, there's a limit to how much but to throw it on the track is just stupid. And I think also the person who did that got removed. So yeah, just don't do that. It's not good for anyone. You get thrown out, so you can’t see the race, and for us, the session is stopped because it's dangerous when there’s stuff on the track, so you shouldn't do it."

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc also echoed Verstappen's sentiments that throwing flares on the track is 'dangerous' and they also create an 'unnecessary risk' for any passing car. The Monagesque said:

"Well, it's exactly the same comment as Max. It's dangerous, so don't do these type of things. It's good that there was a reaction from … I don't know who is taking care about it, the security guys, and this shouldn't happen, so I don't know if in the future we can do anything to avoid that."

Leclerc added:

So I don't know exactly when it was thrown, but obviously if a car is passing at that time, then it can create unnecessary risk. So yeah, hopefully won't happen again."

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Max Verstappen reflects on strong qualifying session at Dutch GP

Verstappen did not have a great start to the Dutch GP weekend, as the Red Bull looked all over the place in practice on Friday.

The team, though, made changes overnight that improved the car's competitiveness, and Verstappen secured pole position the next by less than a tenth of a second, beating Leclerc.

Verstappen commended the team for working hard overnight to make the car competitive, saying:

"Unbelievable! We had a difficult day yesterday; the whole team worked really hard overnight to turn it around, and we recovered well. Again, today we had a quick car, and it was enjoyable to drive; a qualifying lap around here feels insane."

The Red Bull driver anticipates a tough race but said that the right strategy and execution could help them take the win. Verstappen also hailed the 'amazing' atmosphere at Zandvoort and could 'feel the support' from fans.

"I know it's going to be close during the race, but I think if we make the right calls on tyres and execute it well, we should stand a good chance tomorrow," said the Dutchman. "The atmosphere is amazing here. I hope the fans are having a great time. I really can feel the support and I can hear them all around the track."

The Dutch GP will mark the first time in three races the championship leader will start on the front row.