Max Verstappen reacts to Monza BOOS as reigning champion given tough time by Tifosi

Max Verstappen

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Verstappen reacts to Monza BOOS as reigning champion given tough time by Tifosi

The world champion was roundly jeered throughout the Grand Prix weekend

Dan Davis

Sunday 3 September 2023 21:57

Max Verstappen has insisted he was not fazed by the jeers directed at him throughout the Italian Grand Prix weekend.

Arriving in Monza as the pantomime villain, audible boos were directed toward the world champion, a stark contrast to Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz's reception.

Indeed, Leclerc was even forced to gesture to the spectators to tone down the hostile atmosphere during the post-qualifying interviews on Saturday.

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Leclerc's team-mate Sainz had sent the capacity crowd into raptures after securing pole position, with Verstappen just 0.013s behind in second.

Earlier this season in Miami, Verstappen admitted it was normal for successful drivers to be booed, and he continued this sentiment in Italy.

Verstappen was pipped to pole position in Monza by just 0.013s

Verstappen: 'That's just how it is'

"Of course, they'd rather see a Ferrari on pole position here," he told De Telegraaf. "If I had been in a red car, they might have jumped over the fence!

"I think this circuit suits the characteristics of the Ferrari well. They're always good on the brakes and in slow corners that are really 90 degrees. That's just how it is, that certain circuits suit one team better than another track."

Verstappen ended up dominating the race at Monza, getting ahead of Sainz after 15 laps and cruising off into the distance to break the all-time F1 record for consecutive wins by a driver.