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Valtteri Bottas has called on those booing after Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix to “question themselves”.
Bottas, who qualified second after lapping 0.315s slower than Hamilton but just over a tenth faster than Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, criticised those booing in the post-qualifying press conference unprompted by a question.
Having been asked about his performance, he then moved onto the topic of booing, describing it as “not right”.
“I don’t normally say about these kind of things, but I heard a lot of booing at the end of qualifying and I don’t understand it,” said Bottas.
“I would like the people to question themselves, their behaviour, because I don’t think it’s fair.
“We are here as athletes to give every single bit we have for the sport we love.
“Lewis did an amazing lap, then you get booing, so I think the people just question yourself. It’s not right, it’s not fair and we don’t want to see these kind of things.”
Hamilton said in his interview immediately after taking pole that the booing “if anything, fuels me”.
He later declined the opportunity to criticise it and stressed that it didn’t impact him when asked about both the booing and several banners apparently attacking him on display in the Hungaroring crowd.
“I don’t really have anything to say to it,” said Hamilton.
“People have a right to… it’s sport, right, and people act wild when it’s sport, it’s competition and I don’t take it to heart.
“I must be doing something right to be up front and it’s pretty good for me otherwise.”
Verstappen said he was in the garage when the booing occurred and he wasn’t paying attention to what was happening, but when asked about it subsequently he echoed Bottas’s claim that it was wrong.
He also agreed with Hamilton that such external factors should not affect drivers.
“It’s not correct, of course, but in the end of the day we are drivers, we shouldn’t get disturbed by these kind of things,” said Verstappen.
“You should anyway just focus on what you have to do and that’s deliver in the car.
“Luckily, we wear helmets, when you’re driving of course where it matters we don’t hear anything. That’s maybe a bit different to other sports, probably we’re quite lucky with that.
“It’s not nice, but it shouldn’t influence any of us. I think we’re all very professional and know what we have to do on track anyway.”
