Sexist, racist and homophobic insults are at the origin of this investigation, announced Sunday a few hours before the race.
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The promoter of Formula 1 announced, Sunday July 10, to examine behavior judged “unacceptable” of supporters present at the Austrian Grand Prix. Many messages on social networks report sexist, racist and homophobic insults, especially towards the pilots and between fans.
In a press release issued on Sunday morning, the Formula One company points out that it has been made aware that “some fans have been subjected to completely unacceptable comments from other fans”. These overflows have taken place since the first tests.
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 10, 2022
“We talked to the promoter about it. [local] and security services. We will speak to those who have reported these incidents and we take this very seriously. This type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. All fans should be treated with respect.”emphasizes Formula One.
Nearly 50,000 Dutch fans, most dressed in orange, came as every year to support their hero, world champion Max Verstappen. Some booed and whistled the two Mercedes drivers, Britons Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, when they came off the track during qualifying.
Hamilton and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff criticized the behavior as well as that of British fans who whistled and booed Verstappen a fortnight ago at the British GP. “It’s not very sporty, regretted Wolff on Saturday. QWhen supporters applaud if a pilot has an accident, one wonders if they are aware of their attitude and understand this sport well”he added.