Lewis Hamilton unafraid of Verstappen 'orange army' hostility as fans return

Austrian Grand Prix

Hamilton unafraid of Verstappen 'orange army' hostility as fans return

Austrian Grand Prix will run in front of a capacity crowd

Sam Hall

Friday 2 July 2021 08:00

Lewis Hamilton will let any hostility from the stands 'go over his head' as F1 prepares to host a capacity crowd for the first time in a year.

With Covid restrictions eased in Austria, up to 100,000 fans are expected to line the hills around the Red Bull Ring, with 60,000 predicted to attend on Sunday alone.

In recent years, fans have predominantly worn orange in support of championship leader Max Verstappen, but Mercedes driver Hamilton has stated he will not let any antagonism prevent him from doing his job on the track.

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“I’ve never noticed any hostility really here," he said. "I think there was one time some fans were a bit negative on the podium but I’m able to let that go over my head.

“I appreciate the fans and I love the energy they bring. As a fan of other sports, I know what it’s like to be against one team and for another so I totally respect it. It’s no problem.”

Hamilton refuses to give up on championship charge

After leaving Spain following the fourth race of the season, Hamilton held a 14-point lead over Red Bull driver Verstappen. Four races later, it is the Dutchman that holds sway.

A run of three victories in four races, interrupted only by a tyre failure in Azerbaijan, means Verstappen has an 18-point cushion over Hamilton who is still firmly in the fight despite recognising Red Bull's impressive work.

“They’ve obviously done a great job in these last four races," said Hamilton. "It’s been really difficult for us from Monaco, which obviously was a bit of a disaster, and then the same for Baku.

"Better in France and better last weekend, however, they have taken a step ahead of us and so we are just working as hard as we can to see if there is a way we can close that gap.

“We’re not even halfway through the season so I’m still fighting and chasing for this title.”