WHY SOME FANS NEED AN EDUCATION
The crowds in the grandstand at Zandvoort last weekend only had eyes for one man, and understandably so. And boy, did their darling Max Verstappen deliver. His 10th victory of the year was a tense affair, but it has set him firmly on the right trajectory for his second World title.
The crowd were rapped over the knuckles, metaphorically, on Saturday for the flares which entered the race track during the qualifying session. It was one of the ugly sides to the sport which is, unfortunately, becoming more prevalent.
Remember the nasty reports from the Austrian Grand Prix in July? There too, the crowd was reprimanded for its ill behaviour. It is such an unusual thing for motorsport fans to show themselves in a bad light, but the question remains: why is this becoming more of an issue?
There is no question that Formula 1 is now more popular than ever, no doubt boosted by a certain streaming television channel and its influence. So there are fresh faces coming along to enjoy the sport we all love, and potentially it is these people who are letting the side down. There needs to be a rapid process of educating these fans as to what it expected at a motor racing circuit so that we can all continue to watch motorsport without nervously eyeing who is sitting next to us in the grandstand.
It was an up-and-down race for Mercedes too, with the car performing at a much more competitive level than previously, despite the team bosses incurring the wrath of Lewis Hamilton, who felt a late strategy call had cost him a win. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was typically diplomatic in his reaction, as you can read on page five.
Elsewhere in this issue, we have a comprehensive report from the latest round of the British Rally Championship from the Ceredigion, where former WRC man Hayden Paddon was the star performer. There is also all the action from the BTRDA and historic championship on the Woodpecker, which was a packed event.
The incumbent of our Q&A hot seat this week is Formula E and GT racer Alexander Sims. The 2008 McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year winner is hugely honest in his answers and it is a real insight into the life of a professional racing driver. He has now decided to focus on a GT career, and we wish him all the success he deserves.
Also in this issue, don’t forget to get involved with our latest MN poll on the most-missed F1 tracks. The Motul UK-backed survey is on page 15. Make your voice heard now!