Editors note: This is the second part of a three part series looking at the ‘boo’ phenomena that has fallen on Formula 1.
In Part 1, we looked at some of the reasons for the booing of Vettel and suggested that the Red Bull management and PR team have to take a fair share of the responsibility for this phenomenon.
Here I intend to examine the lectures being dished out to fans who boo Vettel. Apparently it is unsporting, disrespectful and just bad manners.
Bad Manners
The Vettel booing phenomena is scorned and derided by certain high profile figures in the English speaking F1 media. Martin Brundle took on those jeering directly from the podium in Singapore saying “that’s not correct”. Hilariously, Vettel on the same podium used choice language regarding the testicular organs of competitor team members – making Brundle’s intervention for better manners appear all the more silly.
Brundle used his blog on SKY to describe the booing as disgraceful, rude and disrespectful and suggests, “silence would still send the message if desired”. Some may view this as rather a delusional and ill thought out comment.
‘Fake Charlie Whiting’ gave TJ13 a mention on the Formula1blog.com post Singapore roundup after I had challenged him to explain why booing was wrong.
I have no problem with fake twitter celebrities and FCW at times is very pithy and amusing. Yet anyone who sets themselves up as an authority by issuing edicts of condemnation upon others should be able to give a reason for their views.
I had replied to a @SkySportsF1 comment describing the crowd’s behaviour as disgusting and demanding more respect for Vettel. I merely observed, “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Clearly less are cheering Seb than boo him. That’s life!!!”
FCW challenged this view stating, “One’s opinion and how one behaves are 2 different things. Booing is rude, boorish behaviour” I asked FCW repeatedly to explain why booing was in breach of some morality code, yet he repeatedly refused to answer but challenged me to defend the booing.
There were a number of exchanges (all available @thejudge13) which culminated in FCW calling me a ‘troll’. Eventually, clutching at straws, he explained jeering was wrong because his mother brought him up to have manners. FCW justified this opinion further because Martin Brundle and other important people believe it is rude, crude and socially unacceptable.
Another representative of TheF1Blog @PaulF1B commented, “Sorry we’re not your cup’o tea I’m pretty proud of what we do especially Civility & Decorum credo” and then proceeded to suggest that those who boo are childish.
Am a missing something? Don’t boo because our morality code says it’s bad manners, whilst at the same time it’s apparently acceptable and ‘civil’ to call someone a troll, boorish, rude and childish. Mmm. Pot and Kettle methinks.
So who the hell decides what is good manners or appropriate? One man’s freedom fighter is another’s terrorist.
Good manners are clearly a subjective issue and depend on from where you hail. I was taught it was good manners to leave my plate clean, yet in some parts of the world this suggests your host has underfed you. We were taught it was rude to make slurping noises at the dinner table but in Japan it is an indication that the food is good.
One day over the summer, I was parched from the heat and gulped down an iced fizzy drink way too quickly; I was in a very public place. The resulting volcanic expulsion of wind made a nearby large dog whimper and gained me a number of scowls and disapproving looks.
Yet in India, Turkey and some Middle Eastern countries and even in parts of China it is considered good manners to burp after a meal. It’s a sign of appreciation and satiety.
I came from humble beginnings and the first time I visited a fairly up-market restaurant, I was confused by the 3 forks, 2 spoons and array of knives set before me. Which fork to use and when??? Of course I now know it’s the one furthest from your plate. Yet in Thai culture you don’t use your fork to put food in your mouth, instead you use a fork to push your food onto your spoon.
I believe a fork in the mouth is a big no no.
F1 is a global sport and travels throughout cultures wide and varied and the question is, which set of manners should we apply and when? Some suggest that swearing down a microphone in front of your hosts and thousands of people in the Middle East certainly would fit the ‘not to be done here’ manners category.
Respect where respect is due
There have been a number of comments to the effect that Vettel’s achievements demand respect and therefore the booing is disrespectful.
Horner again this week appears to be unable to resist the fork foot in the mouth syndrome when offering his views on why Sebastian is jeered. The Red Bull team principal tells the German media, “It is the same as the people who watched Muhammed Ali and wanted to see him lose,”
There are two problems with this analogy. The first is that Mohammed Ali was deliberately a most public, provocative character and highly charismatic. Sebastian is neither. Horner is alluding to the fact the dominant winners attract this kind of behaviour and clearly wishes us to believe it is this domination that is causing the booing.
This old chestnut has been debated ad nauseum. It was covered in Part 1 and discussed at length in the comments.
The second problem with the Horner analogy is that Ali put his life on the line, taking punches equivalent to being hit with a full swing of a sledgehammer merely covered by a skin of leather. The phrase ‘punch drunk’ depicts exactly the nature of this physical exchange, and Ali had some big fights where he was knocked senseless even when winning.
Formula 1 drivers are fairly tired at the end of a race like Singapore, but for a variety of reasons we no longer observe drivers so exhausted they have to be lifted from their cars or collapsing on the podium.
Its interesting to hear the younger F1 fans who marvel at the risk the modern drivers are taking. It’s as though the concept of what it was like to race in the 1950’s or 1960’s isn’t real to them. Thankfully, the chance of an F1 driver being maimed or killed is negligible in the 21st century.
Yet, when F1 drivers took their lives in their hands for the love of what they did, mortal respect was afforded to all for their bravery and courage. Now we admire the lightning reactions, desire to win and honed skills at the wheel of machines which are on the whole fairly safe.
Vettel is a modern master, but does he deserve universal respect? If so why? For being brilliant, dedicated and ruthless in his pursuit of victory?
Albert Einstein said, “Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized”. The point being that everyone is flawed and therefore open to critique.
I was sat at Stowe corner in 1999 when Schumacher crashed out and broke his leg. The crowd around me cheered wildly. Apparently, this was seen all around the circuit on the large screens live and solicited a similar response.
Yet when it was clear Schumacher may be seriously injured, there was generally a silence, and people dropped their voices to speak. As Michael was loaded onto the ambulance there was polite and respectful applause which continued as the vehicle passed the various sections of the crowd on the way to the medical centre.
In these moments, Schumacher was afforded respect as a human being by the British crowd, but not as a racer. Jeering and booing does not mean those indulging have no respect.
Respect is offered to sports stars by the watching masses for presenting something more complete than just the brilliance of a dominant competitor.
The Oxford English Dictionary can have the final word on this matter. It defines respect as follows, “a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.”
Clearly the F1 self appointed morality police respect Vettel freely for his achievements and many of his qualities, yet is it not arrogant they use their platform or even experience to demand that all share their views?
People are entitled to question Vettel’s qualities and his own respect of others; and on this issue there is indeed evidence the young German champion is short of the exceptionally high standards he demonstrates in his abilities and achievements.
Who says an F1 fan cannot grant respect for Vettel’s achievements – even if grudgingly – whilst holding and expressing an attitude of disapproval for other aspects of his existence?
It’s most probable that by making such a big deal over the booing of Vettel, the self righteous lambasting the fans responsible merely serves to stir a rebellious anti-establishment attitude in fans who then persist all the more.
In Part 3, We’ll conclude our look at booing and jeering and offer Red Bull and Sebastian some advice on how they can win over the fans.
Another great piece! I say that as a Vettel fan.
As before, part 2 was a great read. Its nice to get an independent view who does not feel he has to run with the main pack.
the articles and depth of comments thru-out make this THE go-to site on all that is F1. thankyou and congrats!!
Judge,
I mentioned this elsewhere but want to write that here as well. I blame the media and Webber for most of the problems.
Webber still hasn’t got over his 2010 defeat. He think he or his best friend should have won it because they led the championship most of the year. He needs to accept in public that the better man won and move on.
He didn’t like that new front wing in Silverstone thus it was given to Vettel. Why didn’t he simply say the older wing suited him better and he won instead of stirring up unnecessarily? Why isn’t he not telling in public that he never liked hat new wing? Why the media is not questioning?
After Multi21, Webber said Vettel won’t be punished and will be protected. But he never heeded team orders. Was he ever punished? Did the media ever question that?
I was watching the Malaysian 2013 on Sky TV. Pundit Johnny Herbert was explaining to viewers how Webber heeded team orders and how Webber gave up in Malaysia. Those are his own interpretations and blatant lies. Webber himself said that he never heeded team orders but he ran out of tyres when challenging Vettel in previous occasions. In Malaysia, Vettel was too good for him.
So many times Sky TV has gone into explain the Multi21 issue and saying it was daylight robbery. Webber had not turned down his engine in Malaysia and he fought back but lost. But never admitted it.
Sky or any other media never questioned why Webber didn’t heed team orders but blames when his teammate disregards same. The media never questioned why that unnecessary team order was given in the first place. The media never said both drivers were fighting in Malaysia. All because Webber is outspoken and speaks his mind.
As someone else mentioned in judge13 recently, Webber is very manipulative of the media. Just look at that taxi drive in Singapore. When you look at the video clips, it clearly shows how dangerous it was. It was like running across M1 when vehicles are doing 80mph. Webber and his best friend didn’t acknowledge what they did was wrong but they were poking fun at the person who dished out the penalty. The media still loves it. If Vettel had done it, then they will be saying a GPDA Director has committed a heinous crime.
Things will change for the better when Webber leaves Red Bull and F1. But I am sure he will wash up in F1 sometimes later … as a TV commentator.
On moral ground booing is wrong. But we need to ask whether Vettel deserve booing. Webber and the media are fanning the fire. If you are a hard core Webber or Alonso fan or a Vettel hater, you will still say he deserve it. But a wise man once said ‘There’s none so blind as those who refuse to accept they may be wrong’.
I think TJ13 covered that in part 1. Yes, it is ALSO media… And Webber probably knows how to use them better. And I agree, Vettel does not deserve all of this, but it is interesting phenomenon to discuss. Let’s wait for part 3…
And that is it, do people respect Vettel? “a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.”
Some may think he ticks all those boxes but it is all at the hands of a Newey car. It is all in a team that is perceived to support him alone. It is in a team where them team ‘leader’ (and I use this term loosely) does not have the balls to stand up to either driver and put them in place. And Vettel has a heathy dose of ruthlessness in him…
Add all of them together and a situation is created where there is no respect… Easy!
So why do people Boo? How do you bring your voice across otherwise? Yes you can keep quiet but will it have the same effect? We would not have been talking about people keeping quiet but we are debating why people are booing. We, the fans, are doing soul searching for Red Bull.
As TJ mentioned in his first piece, it is the management of RB that has caused this. I believe people are booing out of hopelessness because what else can they do to make their voices heard?
I won’t boo someone, what I will do is work until I beat them at whatever it is or just ignore them, but that is me…
This is what exactly the judge pointed out in his first instalment. Who is exactly saying the team is supporting only Vettel? This is a notion the fans have and the media wants the fans to believe and which is never denied by Webber. Webber IS getting equal support. Why can’t he openly admit that? That will largely defuse the situation. But Webber wants to portray that he is a victim of discrimination by the team. Talk about opportunists and sadists.
As I wrote in Part One of this series the booing is largely the result of the English media. The fact that three separate instalments are needed here when one would suffice is a clear indication of the old adage of “flogging a dead horse”. What was originally an attempt to discredit Vettel over his win in Malaysia, has morphed into the English media attempting, and to a degree succeeding, in diminishing Vettel’s world championships and even his abilities as an F1 driver.
The English media would have you believe that Vettel’s success is all due to Newey. Vettel can’t overtake. He can’t win unless he’s on the front row. Webber is given inferior equipment. Now they are running stories that Giancarlo Minardi is claiming Vettel was using traction control in Singapore while Webber didn’t have it. Minardi claims he knew from the different sounds of their engines. Many in the English media are now trumpeting – see we told you all along – Vettel is a fraud and Red Bull are cheats.
Now we move to the question of whether the English media would be reacting the same way were it Hamilton in the Red Bull. I say they would be proclaiming him the greatest driver since Senna, maybe even better. Hamilton is largely given a pass whenever he’s involved in something. He was innocent of everything in 07 – it was all Alonso’s fault. He lied about the 09 Australian Grand Prix and Dave Ryan got sacked for it. He tweets confidential telemetry info and the English media justify as he was “upset”. And I could go on with other examples. He’s just a poor mixed race lad from Stevenage whose father worked two jobs so he could race in go-carts. Well that explains and justifies everything. And the final arrow in the English media’s quiver is those that don’t think Hamilton is as good as they claim usually end up getting called racists.
I know a lot of the readers here won’t like what I’ve written and I don’t really care. but sitting 3000 miles away it clear to me where the Vettel issue stems from.
I agree with most of what you have written cav. It’s not a new phenomenon either.
The problem with the British F1 media is that they have an arrogance that they are better than everybody else. That the foreigners should be grateful for their patronage.
After all, the F1 industry provides billions to the UK economy (thats a favourite) silicon valley for F1 is Oxfordshire area in uk, anyone serious about setting up a team should be in England.
You mention Lewis, Vettel and Mosley but did you consider Ferrari, Senna, Mansell as well?
Ferrari as I have written previously was always a racing team, when Todt and Schumacher came along they focused on MSC and turned the team around, but instead of re-employing another driver to race him, they kept the subserviants and blatant team orders. Now everyone believes that Ferrari was always about no.1 and no. 2 and it never was. Ferrari despised any driver being too important. For the British fans, think Williams, he had the same attitude.
Think about Lotus or Tyrrell, both great British institutions, but they aren’t racing teams, they have always had a no1 and no2 policy.
Ask David Coulthard, Montoya, Alonso and Kovalainen if Mclaren is run as a proper racing team.
Mansell is a Brummie, which in itself is no crime, but when you read articles about him by the press he was always characterized as being beneath F1, he was viewed as scum, working class, had a chip on his shoulder, his success was not welcome, yet the people loved him. The press loved Damon Hill, another public school upbringing like James Hunt, that was perfectly acceptable. I met them both, Mansell was the most approachable guy with his family around him. Jackie Stewart and DC were the same. Damon Hill, I wouldn’t …. on him if he was on fire.
Senna had problems with the British press throughout his life. They did not like his refusal to have Warwick at Lotus. They knew he wasn’t bothered by the guy’s speed, they knew how good Senna was, but what he was doing was attacking two cornerstones of the British Empire. The driver and the Lotus team so they turned on him. Whilst at Mclaren, Prost had the backing of the UK press. He was an adept politician, his comment post winning the WDC at Brands in 1985 obvioulsy turned on Nigel Roebuck and others, “you know, I would almost rather win here than in France”
What most people forget, at the time he was hated in France after the 1982 French GP.
Therefore Senna was the enemy.
As to Mosley – he was his fathers son. An insidious individual who ravaged the sport in partnership with the rapist Bernie.
Ferrari had a secret veto with the FIA, but despite many rules being introduced which they knew would harm their prospects, which ones did Ferrari actually stop. The 2005 tyre rule change wasn’t one of them? Nor was the banning of testing for 2009, yet Ferrari is still viewed as this sinister mafia-like team from outside the safe zone.
Luca in recent years has been very vocal about Ron Dennis, Mosley and Ecclestone. His words have been pulled apart of website, fan forums and he has been discredited by the predominantly British media. Yet he has been right about it all.
My last point, I’m rambling with no cohesive structure here, when Mclaren were found guilty of stealing Ferrari designs, they were fined 100,000,000 which was later written off as tax loss by HM C&E, and removed from the 2007 WCC. A punishment that surprised many, the fine was headline grabbing, but the expulsion was minimal.
All the British press and I remember in particular an old boy called Alan Henry, insinuated that this was Ferrari ‘s fault, that Mclaren would never have done any of this and that this was an attack on the British.
Anyway, enough bullshit, never trust what you read in a UK paper, or on the BBC..
Carlo – I agree with most of what you have written. The references here to LdM as il padrino evoke images of people waking up and finding a horses head in their bed.
But it’s interesting that you raised the issue of Hunt. As I have an amusing story that recently happened which illustrates how deeply ingrained the bias is. I followed Adam Cooper on twitter and with the release of the movie “Rush” he’s been tweeting incessantly about it. Sometimes a dozen or more everyday. I replied to one of them suggesting that enough was enough with the Rush tweets. He replied, and this isn’t word for word, that obviously as a Ferrari fan I didn’t know anything about F1, that Hunt was one of the greats and had all the characteristics of what made Englishmen and England great. And then he blocked me. Which I found hilarious as his worth as an independent journalist is having as many followers as he can get not less.
But it did get me thinking about Rush and all the Hunt hoopla. While certainly a charector and a darn good TV commentator, Hunt was a good but not a great F1 driver. And certainly would never have a won the 76 WC had Lauda not had his accident. Yet 35 years on he’s still portrayed as one of the best, but Rosberg who won under similar circumstances is an almost forgotten WC.
Great point. I’m not sure if you have seen the documentary – Hunt vs Lauda. F1’s greatest rivalry.
Its about an hour long, but I imagine with the Rush film being made, there’s been some revision of Hunt’s status in peoples minds.
One man who i certainly did not like was Alistair Cadwell. To this day it seems he is somewhat racist of Ferrari and Italians. Or maybe that’s the media once again.
I’m not sure if you watch or follow MotoGP, but have you noticed the British media is far more balanced with their opinion? I do not include the idiots who commentate on the BBC by the way! Or are they more balanced because there isn’t the same infrastructure in bikes?
I think there is a fairly simple reason or two that people are booing Vettel.
RB are seen to be a team that skirts the spirit of the rules as evidenced by the several controversies surrounding their car, flexi wings, holes in floors, per race engine mappings, suspected ride height adjustments etc which all leads to suspicion of an unfair competition.
What fans want is a fair fight, and all they see is a car that romps away with an enormous advantage and no hope of a fight at the front. For those of you that are saying the other teams need to raise their game (yes they do, but it still doesnt change peoples perceptions).
Since most of Vettels wins are from the front using the same modus operandi (pull clear of DRS and cruise), it furthers the suspicion rightly or wrongly of an unfair competition and that its all down to the car. And then he further grates on people with the finger and same message on the radio.
People will grudgingly accept a dominant winner like a Federer or a Nadal as the effort is only and wholey human, but in the case of Formula 1 much of the success can be down to the car and the more dominant the win, the more people believe its the car.
I would add one other comment, not related to Vettel, but an indication of the English media’s bias and thejudge13’s for that matter. Jean Todt is routinely lampooned on this site and general the English media as a buffoon and Ferrari lackey who can’t run the FIA or the Ferrari Intentional Assistance organization as most English fans like to call it. Yet almost nothing is written about his predecessor, Max “Spanky” Mosley, giving away F1’s crown jewel’s, its commercial TV rights, to Ecclestone for essentially nothing. But then Max is English and Jean isn’t.
Cav, you’re not reading the right stuff. Mosley was, and still is if mentioned at all, roundly castigated for the commercial rights deal and for the way he ran the FIA – supporting Ferrari, twisting the rules to whatever he (and Bernie) felt like that particular day and, especially, for going after Ron Dennis. About the only thing that he is, rightly, given credit for is massive improvements in safety.
The media I read seems to suggest that Todt, while something of a shrinking violet in comparison to Max, has at least changed the pro-Ferrari bias that appeared all too clear under his predecessor.
As I say, there might be British media conforming to your view above, but I haven’t seen any. I suggest you be a little more discerning.
Rob Newman, I don’t mean to create a spate, but why are you putting the blame solely on Webber?
In all that has happened Sebastian has had a VERY large part to play in regards to the lack of disrespect.
And it was so eloquently put in an interview on sky after multi 21 by Jack Villeneuve.
If one wants respect, then show some dignity when you get things wrong and act like a gentleman.
Whereas one week later in the interview Sebastian gave to justify why he did what he did, for me, he came across as bit of a bully and a rouge, not a sportsman.
And this is why a good lot of fans are on his case.
Things happened and Vettel has moved on. But not Webber. He is still harbouring a big grudge and venting his anger whenever he gets the opportunity. He is still bringing up older issues in the media which is contributing to the booing. That is why I am blaming Webber.
It is interesting to follow this from within a country with hardly any F1 coverage, meaning that I need to get my information from different news sites and magazines, which are dominantly British, and which are severally biassed against Vettel (as an example, the only cover F1 Racing dedicated to Vettel in the past 3 years was the Darth Vader cover after Malaysia). This has off course been discussed lengthily within part 1&2 and the comments.
I agree with several comments that this is conflicting with the person he is in public (humorous, intelligent, easy going). When I discuss this with the community here in Oman, there is, beyond the usual fan bias towards one driver/team or another, very little negativity around Vettel or Red Bull Racing for that matter. OK, some are annoyed with the dominance, but overall, everybody has been pleased with the quality of the races in the last 4 years compared to the Schumacher era.
If it were not for the british media and the attention this has been getting, I would probably not even have been aware of the booing problem.
Just a thought, maybe the booing is not reflecting an increasing negativity pattern against Vettel or RBR, but more a series of un-related events that are now being taken into a different context: Silverstone (Hamilton did not win), Monza (Any non-Ferrari win is difficult there), Spa (which was not against Vettel but against Greenpeace protest), Singapore (was this against Vettel as a person, or because the unprecedented dominance).
It would be great to see the view from other people outside the typical F1 countries.
You got a point there. I used to work in the middle east for a few years and I never read such biased reporting in either Gulf News or Khaleej Times. I don’t know whether the reporters were British, American, Australian or Canadian but it was very balanced I would say.
In the middle east you get lot of sports car enthusiasts. They love all the fast cars especially Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche etc. When it comes to F1, I don’t think they really care who drives the car but they would love to see a Ferrari win because lot of people own Ferraris there. if Red Bull builds cars, I don’t think that would be very popular. But still I don’t think those Arabs will boo Vettel.
The British media is also largely responsible for those creating boo-fans.
Have to agree with you on that. I’ve lived in Singapore for 7 years and I’ve never heard anyone boo anything here in that time. I was quite shocked to hear it at the podium presentation here. I’m quite convinced that it wasn’t locals doing it.
Oman, you’re right when you say any non-Ferrari win at Monza is difficult but you have to look at the context.
This dates back to the 50’s and hasn’t changed, if Ferrari is fighting for the victory or championship then the voices are against the enemy.
If Ferrari is having a poor season, then they will applaud the race.
Even if an Italian were in the other car, fighting against the Ferrari’s, I guarantee they would celebrate his retirement or boo his success.
That is exactly my point.
Firstly, excellent articles on this judge, mainly for generating the debate.
Whilst agreeing with much of what you wrote, I’m also getting a lot from the comments.
Cav, Enzo, Carlo, Rob and others are making some excellent points that have me thinking a lot. Mainly the one around UK media reporting.
I’ll be waiting with bated breath for part 3, and the comments.
My outlook is being expanded – i thank you all for that.
Apologies, for Enzo please insert Stig.
Baby induced brain fade – ‘in the night garden’ generates cognitive flatlining!
That’s what makes this site so damn ******* excellent. Everyone treats the others with respect. We do not all have the same knowledge, the same way of thinking and in many cases, we do not share the same language. Something I was made aware of a few weeks back when I made a remark regarding Kimi and Smedley and a Bishops Finger, an ale that is brewed in England.
But every person here has time for every body else.
I could easily see us all having a great debate in a pub one weekend, or a meal and would be comfortable knowing that we would all have a voice that would be heard and not shouted down by the loudest.
I think the BOO-ing will become only worse for Vettel….. Read somewhere this morning about the suspicion of good old Mr. Minardi about the current Red Bull-Vettel race car, apparently using traction control. This has come up before this season, but Minardi was especially curious about the last GP in Singapore. He listened to the engine and noticed some laps (certain periods during the race) a weird sound comming from the car.
His nickname “baby-Schumi”, plus the whole BADABOOMBADABING Traction control story coming back to F1 again ,… does he, doesn’t he.. is it the team? Is it the driver? Is it the ILLEGAL TRACTION CONTROL question will be like a black cloud over his upcomming title.
This brings back bad memories from years ago, when MSchumacher also used illegally traction control in a traction controlled-banned period.
So, … his superiority, possibly achieved by using illegal traction control, is a to be BOO-ed achievement. Prepare it to become worse.
Because “respect” is a loooong way away for Vettel, IF his achievements are accomplished by this illegal use of the system.
developing …….
Maybe a red-herring (as I believe they say in the UK), but I am also a believer that the booing has mainly been caused by Red Bull and their constant, overt use of “gamesmanship” to improve their results.
For example: Red Bull bitched on and on about the Pirelli tyres and how terrible they were – clearly trying to get them changed so that they better suited the latest RB chassis/aero. This, of course, despite the fact that they were leading BOTH championships at the time.
So, the tyres change and Red Bull seemingly have about 2 or 3 seconds a lap on the opposition. Are they doing a good job? Hell yes. Might fans feel like they are the Dick Dastardlies of F1? Well…sure! Of course this is aimed at Seb because he’s the one winning; if Mark was winning, fans might have more of a dilemma as he’s seen as a “good bloke” (although I’m not sure why Seb isn’t…oh yeah – UK media ;-)).
I still think it’s not so much constant winning as much as it is HOW that winning is done and I’m not sure that Seb himself is most at fault there…
Personally, I’d never boo. But that’s just me.
I’m booing because it’s boring to watch any driver win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win…
I’m not booing Vettel. I’m booing the predictable viewer experience.
…and because I am red team fan. ;)~
Pingback: #F1 Features: The Vettel ‘Boo’ Pandemic Part III | thejudge13·
This is an unecessarily verbose article that leaves me scratching my head. Are you sayinng that because burping is a sign of appreciation in China, that Vettels boos are actually cheers by confused Chinese fans??? ;-). Seriously though, the intent of the boos are clear and totally unjustified. Its clearly a “cool” trend which thankfully is water off a ducks back!
Sorry, but to say that people have a right to boo as they choose is nonsense. Can I go to a restaurant in smelly, stained sweat cloths? While there can I burp, fart and blow my nose on the table-cloth …. simply because I do not like the food and I am a paying customer? I could I suppose …. but is it correct to do so? Others are there to enjoy dinner also. Others have paid to experience a nice meal and I am ruining it for them. Why? Because I am not happy with the way things have turned out. Some would call that childish. I was at the Canadian GP. I was directly beneath the podium and I can tell you that the crowd in general were not booing Vettel …. Ferrari fans were. Why? Because Vettel beat their boy. Some would also call that childish.