“When you are a driver, you have to behave properly” : Fernando Alonso disagrees with Lewis Hamilton as he gives his opinion regarding the ongoing dispute between Max Verstappen and the FIA
Just a few weeks ago during the Singapore Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was sanctioned by the FIA, who made an example out of him due to his unprofessional conduct in a press conference. The F1 stewards also ordered the Dutchman to take part in the work of public interest as a punishment, to which Verstappen decided to protest against.
This decision was met with a lot of controversy inside the F1 world, as even before this incident, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s rather racist words regarding the use of explicit language triggered a lot of people. This led star drivers like Lewis Hamilton and even Verstappen’s current championship rival Lando Norris came in support of the Dutchman.
This matter really started getting out of hand when the three-time world champion started ignoring questions in press conferences or even speaking his mind, as he ‘might get banned’ again. Although Verstappen was backed by his fellow competitors and other motorsport drivers in his quest for protesting his sanction, one veteran driver does not seem to entertain his behaviour.
“This kind of thing reminds us that there are a lot of people watching us” : Fernando Alonso
43-year-old Fernando Alonso has been in the motorsport business long enough to understand the small intricacies of driver’s decisions and the consequences it provides later on. Speaking at a sponsor event, the Spaniard said he believes that drivers should encourage proper behaviour more, as they are the inspirations of millions of fans around the world.
“I’ve met a lot of fans around the world who follow Formula 1 and they always tell you that you are their inspiration. This kind of thing reminds us that there are a lot of people watching us. When you are a driver, you have to behave properly.” said Alonso.
“The fans can give you a lot of love, a lot of motivation, but also a lot of responsibility for what they expect from you. You have to be prepared to be a role model when you want to be, and when you don’t too. When you want to say something that is not correct, you have to control yourself and be politically correct. When you’re on that day when you don’t want to train or prepare for the next Grand Prix, you have to do it because it’s your responsibility to your fans and the people who believe in you.” the Aston Martin driver added.
The two-time world champion did not directly talk about Verstappen, but looking at the landscape of the F1 in the past few weeks, it was pretty evident to whom he was referring to. This is not the first time a dig has been aimed at the Dutchman this season indirectly, as in July, Lewis Hamilton also suggested the three-time world champion to act more professionally.
