Lewis Hamilton deserved Hungarian Grand Prix booing claims Red Bull chief

F1: Verstappen and Hamilton verbally spar

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Red Bull chief Helmut Marko claims that Lewis Hamilton deserved to be booed for his antics during the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying. Hamilton had Max Verstappen in his rear mirror when he crawled out of the pit line with just two minutes remaining of Q3.

The seven-time world champion then stopped at the entrance to the track in a bid to hinder his opponent’s final attempt at an out lap.

And Hamilton’s cunning tactic worked as Verstappen was unable to better his effort and he will start this afternoon’s race in third place.

Mercedes locked out the front-row meaning Hamilton is in pole position to close down Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship.

During the post-qualifying interviews, the Hungarian crowd booed Hamilton while he was answering questions.

The noise was so intense that the interviewer had to intervene and tell the crowd to stop.

However, Marko reckons the 36-year-old brought it all on himself.

“We knew that Hamilton was very, very fast,” Marko told Servus TV.

“But we thought we could at least get Bottas on the second attempt. But with his games that the audience acknowledged with their great whistling, Hamilton prevented Max from doing a quicker time.

“From a sporting point of view, I don’t see that as the right thing to do.”

Reacting to the booing, Hamilton said: “Honestly, I’ve never actually felt so great with the booing.

“If anything it just fuels me. So I don’t really mind it.”

In the press conference, he added: “That’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. It’s pretty good for me otherwise.”

Bottas leapt to the defence of his team-mate, commenting: “I don’t normally say about these kind of things what I think, but I heard a lot booing at the end of the qualifying. I don’t understand it.

“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 at the end and 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.”

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