Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris react to Max Verstappen being booed at the F1 Spanish GP

Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris recently addressed Max Verstappen getting booed at the 2024 F1 Spanish GP. The Red Bull driver won his 61st Grand Prix, while Norris and Hamilton finished P2 and P3, respectively.

The race in Barcelona saw a battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris for the race win. At the beginning of the race, both had an intense wheel-to-wheel battle, which allowed Mercedes' George Russell to take the lead. Later on, Verstappen overtook Russell to take P1 and kept the lead for the majority of the race.

Even though Lando Norris had the quicker car, he was unable to catch up to the three-time world champion. The strategies also favored the Dutchman, allowing him to win the Spanish GP.

Since Max Verstappen has been dominating the sport since 2022, he is not the most liked driver on the grid. During the podium celebrations, some spectators booed the Dutchman.

At the post-race press conference, both Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton were asked to comment on how fans have been booing Verstappen in certain races. Norris said that discouraging a dominant athlete is common in every sport. He then praised the Red Bull star and stated how good of a job he was doing in F1.

"No. It's difficult to say, I think. I mean, it's never a nice thing, honestly. People are always going to boo, I think, no matter what. You have it in every sport," Norris said.

"Max is winning every race, so people are not going to like that. And it definitely makes the sport less exciting, but that's just because he's doing a good job. There's a fine line. I think everyone within the sport appreciates it and respects it. You have to. And I think everyone does," he added.

Lewis Hamilton chimed in and said that Verstappen has always had a massive following in almost all races. He then praised his rival's skill and how he performed every weekend.

"On the race weekends, he always has a huge crowd always. So he's always got amazing support. And at the end of the day, he does a fantastic job. Every weekend, he delivers. And he's got a great team and obviously a great car. But you can't fault him," Hamilton said.

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When Max Verstappen responded to fans booing him at the 2023 Miami GP

Back in 2023, Max Verstappen gave his take on fans booing him, not only at the Miami GP but at other circuits as well.

Speaking in the post-race press conference, the Red Bull driver said that he understands how drivers who dominate are not liked by many followers. However, he prioritizes being at the top more than anything. He concluded by saying that he gets to take the trophy home and other people also have a nice evening at the end of the day.

"I think if I will be driving in the back nobody will be even doing anything in terms of reaction. Right? 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 absolutely fine as long as I stand on the top, that's for me the most important. I take the trophy home and they go back to their houses and they can have a nice evening," Verstappen said.

After the 2024 F1 Spanish GP, Max Verstappen extended his lead in the drivers' championship table, with a total of 219 points.