Austrian GP fans have changed their minds about Lewis Hamilton after booing him on the podium

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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has had a troubled relationship with the crowd at the Austrian Grand Prix.

In 2016, after colliding with Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg on the final lap and winning the race, Hamilton was booed on the podium. The stewards ruled that Rosberg was at fault for the incident, but that didn’t stop the hostile reception.

And in 2022, some fans cheered when Hamilton crashed out of qualifying, prompting a stern rebuke.

“I don’t agree or condone any of that, no matter what,” Hamilton said, via Sky Sports. “A driver could have been in hospital and you are going to cheer that?

“It is mind-blowing that people would do that, knowing how dangerous our sport is. I am grateful I wasn’t in hospital and wasn’t injured. You should never cheer someone’s downfall, someone’s injury or crash.”

How Austrian Grand Prix fans are treating Lewis Hamilton after ‘mind-blowing’ criticism

The animosity towards Hamilton in 2022 stemmed from his bitter rivalry with Max Verstappen the previous year.

While this isn’t Verstappen’s home race, it is Red Bull’s, and the ‘Orange Army’ flock to the circuit every year.

But it was noteworthy that Hamilton’s provisional pole lap at the end of Saturday’s Q3 session drew audible cheers from the grandstands.

While Hamilton was bumped down to third by Mercedes’ George Russell and teammate Charles Leclerc, he still received the warmest response of the three drivers in parc ferme afterwards.

The encouragement from the crowd, in what was once enemy territory for Hamilton, shows how his image has changed in recent years.

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When an athlete dominates a sport, they often become a divisive figure almost by default. But when that same competitor becomes an underdog, they are more widely appreciated.

The exact same phenomenon occurred last year. Verstappen was once booed in Italy, Ferrari country, but the crowd at Imola were singing his name as he tried to hunt down the two McLarens.

Many who weren’t Hamilton fans were troubled by his apparent decline in 2024 and 2025. It was difficult to see the sport’s most successful driver drowning in self-doubt.

That’s why Hamilton’s resurgence this year has proven to be so popular. Those past critics don’t necessarily want him to win the championship, but most recognise that it’s in the best interest of F1 for him to be in the conversation.

Ultimately, sports fans want to see the greats doing great things, and Hamilton has returned to that level in 2026.