Lewis Hamilton was the only driver on the grid to not attend the F1 Live event in London the run up to the British GP, claiming that he needed a holiday in order to recharge from the intensity of his title battle with Sebastian Vettel.
His decision not to make an appearance for his home supporters has drawn a fair bit of criticism. Although Max Verstappen said that he understood Hamilton’s decision, he also thought that it was important for drivers to make an appearance at events like F1 Live.
“From Lewis’s side, if he wants a holiday, he needs to take a holiday. If it makes him faster he should do that. But, of course, I think English fans would have liked to see him there.”
“If I did that in Holland, they would have shot me! It’s good to do those things. It was a great event, a lot of people turned up and we did some doughnuts, even though it was not allowed.”
Verstappen’s meteoric rise in the sport has seen him gain legions of fans the world over, with Dutch fans turning up in droves at various races this season. He was also the main attraction at a fan event at Zandvoort earlier this year, where he set a new lap record of the circuit in a Red Bull RB8.
Max also had a ton of support in the Austrian GP as whole grandstands were covered in orange, and said that he expects to have good support for the British GP as well.
“It’s always a boost when you have a lot of fans around. I wish I had a Dutch Grand Prix, but here a lot of English fans are coming. Last year the support was great, especially when I overtook Nico [Rosberg] It was good for the championship and I could see a lot of English fans cheering.”
When asked if he’d ever consider taking a holiday between races like Hamilton did he simply said “If you need it. Everybody is different.” I’m sure if taking a holiday meant his RB13 would be more reliable, he’d be on a coach to Blackpool in a heartbeat.
