Verstappen defends Hadjar: I’ve never pushed anyone, but I came close
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The Mexican weekend was packed with incidents. As is often the case, there was little action on track, apart from the battle between the Ferrari drivers on the opening lap of the race. There were plenty of incidents off track, though. One involved Isack Hadjar and an intrusive fan.
The French driver received a formal warning for his actions. Opinions on the incident were divided. On one hand, there was a genuinely intrusive fan trying to take a photograph despite the driver’s obvious objections, while also invading his personal space. On the other, it is worth remembering that these drivers earn huge sums and lead luxurious lives largely thanks to the fans. Without them, there would be no multimillion-pound sponsorship and television deals.
There is, however, another argument. Today’s F1 paddocks are incredibly crowded. If you are wealthy enough, you too can gain access. This has become a highly lucrative business for promoters, and the drive to fill the paddock with guests to bursting point inevitably leads to incidents like these.
Max Verstappen also made that point. He has long criticised the huge number of people in the paddock and recently even likened the F1 paddock to a “zoo”. “I understand his reaction,” said the four-time champion.
“It’s incredibly irritating when people just touch you without asking. I’ve never pushed anyone away myself, but there have been a few times when I came close,” continued Verstappen, who is fighting behind the scenes to improve the situation, but with revenue from lucrative tickets at stake, it is a losing battle.
“I’ve compared the paddock to a zoo before. This is the kind of situation you get when you let so many people in,” added Verstappen.
Earlier in the weekend, Hadjar had also agreed with the comparison of the paddock to a zoo. “I agree, It needs to chill a bit.” said the French driver.
He was happy with the stewards’ decision. They opted for a formal warning rather than handing the Red Bull driver a hefty fine or any other draconian punishment, which Isack regarded as a victory. “I was talking to stewards, and they understood my point. They took the right decision.”
