Lewis Hamilton says it was “breathtaking” as some spectators cheered when he crashed during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix sprint race on Friday.
The Mercedes driver’s crash in Q3 was met with cheers from some in the crowd at the Red Bull Ring.
“I didn’t hear them for [it], I was going through a bunch of stuff in the crash,” Hamilton said when asked by RaceFans. “But to hear it after, I don’t agree or condone any of this, no matter what.
“I mean, a driver could have been hospitalized and you will be happy? It’s amazing that people do this, knowing how dangerous this sport is. I am grateful that I was not hospitalized and that I was not seriously injured.
Hamilton also slammed Silverstone fans last week for booing Max Verstappen during his rival’s interview.
“You should never applaud someone’s fall or someone’s injury or accident,” he said. “It shouldn’t have happened at Silverstone, even if it wasn’t an accident, and it shouldn’t have happened here.”
McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo said he understands why fans are cheering for and against certain drivers, but the danger of crashes means they should be treated with more respect.
“An accident falls into a little different kind of territory,” he said. “Of course the rivalries are great, and the one between Lewis and Max, especially last year, was great, and like in any sport you’ll always have pros and cons. So I think on-track battles have to be encouraged or whatever is cool.
“I’ve never been a fan of boos, so I don’t tolerate boos. Of course, you’re going to have those you like and those you don’t necessarily like. But I think in an accident, you wish you wouldn’t not see it.
Fans should remember that pilots are “human beings too,” Ricciardo said. “People have to remember that sometimes.
“It’s easy when you’ve been in the crowd all day and obviously had a few beers and if the guy next to you does it, you think it’s good that you can do it.
“But I feel like you’re coming to an age where you’re also maturing and you realize that, okay, what I did when I was 15, I shouldn’t be doing it as a 30-year-old man. You have to be a little more reasonable.”
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