22/09/2013
NEWS STORY
Mat Coch writes:
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has hit out at race goers after Sebastian Vettel was booed during the podium ceremony following the Singapore Grand Prix. Vettel felt the wrath of the Italian tifosi two weeks ago after claiming victory at Monza, an experience which was repeated in Singapore.
"I think it's so unfair," said Horner. "It's not sporting and it's not fair not to recognise when a sportsman has delivered in the way that he has, not to see that recognised."
"It's not nice but I think you should look around the grandstands," Vettel agreed. "Most of the fans are dressed in red, Ferrari has a very strong fan base for a reason: they have a lot of tradition in Formula One, they've been around longer and won, and they've been more successful than any other team.
"It's not people from Singapore or from one country only," he added. "It's normal if some people support one driver then they don't like another driver winning."
Vettel was the class of the field in Singapore, dominating the race with a fifteen lap stint during which he opened a thirty second lead. He had stopped on lap seventeen before the safety car was deployed on lap twenty-four, leaving him no option but to carry on.
"The pace car came at arguably the worst possible time for us as we weren't in a window where we could go to the end of the race," Horner admitted. "We gave Sebastian a target to say basically you've got fifteen laps, do what you can.
"His pace during that period of the race was phenomenal. To build up what turned out to be thirty seconds to Fernando that gave him a clear stop was absolutely remarkable."
However it was the reception from the crowd, or a vocal minority of it, which clearly angered the Red Bull boss. "What you have witnessed today is I think one of the best drives I've seen him produce in terms of raw pace and what he's been able to deliver.
"I think the problem is standing up on the podium all you see is there's a small collective group and then it's like a pantomime.
"I can remember when I first came in to the sport Fernando, in the years that he was winning continually with Renault, was booed everywhere he went," Horner continued. "When he raced against Lewis Hamilton at McLaren he was hugely unpopular. Now he's the most popular driver in the pit lane."
"Sebastian, I think, is delivering at a level that is a pleasure to see. I think that this won't affect him but for sure when you're standing up there it's not a pleasant experience to beg booed when you've put in what is an outstanding performance."
Editor's note: We refer to this boorish minority as race goers because that is what they are, they are not fans of the sport, certainly not in the traditional sense.
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