Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has affirmed that being booed by fans does not have an effect on him as he aims for victory at the British Grand Prix.
Verstappen was involved in a tense rivalry with Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton last season, and has been receiving the treatment from the Silverstone crowd all weekend, starting during Thursday’s festivities ahead of the weekend.
The Dutchman qualified second behind Carlos Sainz in Towcester, and the drivers took to the grid for their customary top three interviews, which were conducted by racing driver Billy Monger.
Verstappen struggled to hear what the Briton was saying when being interviewed by him, but he is unfazed by being the pantomime villain.
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“It was a bit disappointing because I couldn’t understand Billy,” he said.
“The rest, if they want to boo, then they do that, for me, it is not going to change anything.
“I am happy to always be here. It is a great track and great for the atmosphere in general.
“Maybe some of them, they don’t like me but that is fine. They all have their own opinions and I don’t care.”
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As for qualifying itself, the reigning champion span on his opening run of the final session, before a Charles Leclerc spin at the end caused a yellow flag, forcing the Dutchman to slow.
Ultimately, this may have been the difference between himself and Sainz.
“It was I think a good qualifying,” Verstappen said in the media pen after qualifying.
“The car was working really well, I felt comfortable. Just sometimes in Q3 it can be a little bit of a lottery.
“And I had a yellow flag on my final lap, so I had to back out a bit in the high-speed corners which in the end cost me pole.
“But these things can happen, in the wet especially.
“Everything needs to work well for you and it didn’t for me in the final lap, but overall out car is very good in dry and wet conditions, so that’s also I think really important for tomorrow.”
Leclerc will start third as Sainz out-qualified his team-mate for the second time this year, while the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez will start the race fourth.