"A driver could have been in hospital, and you are going to cheer that?"- Lewis Hamilton slams fans who reportedly exhibited happiness after his crash at 2022 F1 Austrian GP qualifying

Lewis Hamilton has criticized fans who were seen cheering after he crashed out during qualifying for the 2022 F1 Austrian GP. He said that such behavior is unacceptable in such a “dangerous sport”.

Speaking to the BBC following the race on Sunday, the Briton said:

"I was going through a bunch of stuff in the crash, but to hear it afterwards you know... I don't agree with any of that, no matter what.

"A driver could have been in hospital, and you are going to cheer that?"

He added, saying:

"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."

Mercedes seemed like a genuine threat to front runners Red Bull and Ferrari during Friday's qualifying that set the grid for the 2022 F1 Austrian GP sprint. Both its drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell had set competitive lap times during Q1 and Q2.

Mercedes’ hopes of securing a potential front-row start, however, were undone in Q3 when Hamilton lost control of his car in turn 7, slid across the gravel, and crashed heavily into the barriers.

The incident happened right beside the grandstand where mostly Dutch fans were seated, and they could be seen cheering and celebrating immediately after the Briton crashed.

Given that the impact could have easily caused serious injuries to Hamilton, the behavior of fans was criticized by many in the immediate aftermath.

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Mercedes reportedly treated a Lewis Hamilton fan with a garage invitation after they endured sexist abuse at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP

Mercedes reportedly invited a Lewis Hamilton fan into their garage after they endured sexist abuse at the hands of fellow spectators at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP. The fan reportedly had their dress lifted by drunken spectators for being a Mercedes and Hamilton supporter.

After reports of discrimination and abuse by spectators towards fellow fans emerged, Mercedes and Hamilton swiftly condemned those actions. Speaking to ESPN, team boss Toto Wolff felt that such people needed to be called out for their actions, and said:

“We just need to target these guys and pick them out and say ‘you.’ This is what Formula 1 has said and we have said and that you need to report to the security if you can.”

“And whoever reads my sentence: stay away, we don’t want you if you are part of that group.”

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton has expressed his “disgust and disappointment” at the spectator's behavior, saying that allowing a repeat of such actions could pull the sport in the wrong direction.