I was at the Belgian Grand Prix and Max Verstappen is no longer the crowd favourite

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Attending the Belgian Grand Prix for a third time in 2026 was an eye-opening experience. Not just because of the disappointing engine sounds and racing in F1, but also who was the fan favourite.

Coming into the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, one was fully expecting Max Verstappen to be plastered everywhere around the track and fans to be in full support. Of course, it was quite large, with Red Bull and Verstappen T-shirts easily noticeable, as well as flares from the orange army.

It was a decent weekend for the four-time champion, all things considered, as he came home to finish third at the Belgian Grand Prix. Yet, his result, or Verstappen in general, did not produce anywhere near as big a celebration as his rival – Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton received the most cheers from the crowd at the Belgian Grand Prix

As aforementioned, one came into the Belgian GP thinking that Verstappen fans would dominate the circuit and passionately cheer on the Dutchman. After all, he is half Belgian, and one could even say the same about Lando Norris.

It was therefore a huge surprise to see that Verstappen was not the crowd favourite at all. That, in fact, went to the Ferrari star, Hamilton.

The seven-time champion’s resurgence in 2026 has clearly had a significant effect on Ferrari fans as he finds himself in the title picture. That was evidenced by the huge number of Ferrari fans at Spa and the support he got from the crowd.

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Standing at Pouhon for the duration of the race, Hamilton got a huge roar from the crowd as he appeared on the TV broadcast for the starting grid. Meanwhile, Verstappen, who qualified P2 with Hamilton P5, received a much fainter cheer.

Of course, fans were happy with Verstappen finishing on the podium, but Hamilton’s P4 seemed to have garnered much more celebration. One was left struggling to figure out why that was the case.

Perhaps many fans, like several experts at the start of 2026, are growing tired of his constant criticism of the regulations and the limbo over his future. Verstappen likened the regulations to Formula 3 at Spa and is still yet to commit to Red Bull for 2027.

Why didn’t Ferrari make Charles Leclerc help Lewis Hamilton during the Belgian GP?

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Whatever the reason, it was abundantly clear that Hamilton overshadowed Verstappen in terms of fan support at the Belgian GP. His improved form has reignited the optimism around his fanbase as he battles for the title.

It was a chaotic race for the 41-year-old, as early contact with George Russell landed him a five-second penalty. Hamilton then hit a mechanic during his pit stop, but he marched on through to finish P4 ahead of Oscar Piastri – his overtake on the Aussie received another deafening roar from the crowd.

The result moves the Ferrari driver back into P2 in the standings, 45 points behind race winner and championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Mercedes thought they would be out of sight by now, but Hamilton believes the title is still on for him – and he has the support behind him.