At Imola, Max Verstappen secured his fifth triumph of the F1 2024 season.
Max Verstappen became a “legend in our hearts” for two Ferrari fans after giving them the middle finger at Imola, as the duo issued a social media apology video.
Verstappen bounced back from a rough start to the race weekend at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to ensure that his 100 per cent pole position record in F1 2024 remained intact, though that did not go down well with two Ferrari fans, the Scuderia having gone into qualifying seen as genuine contenders for pole.
Max Verstappen becomes ‘legend’ for middle finger comeback
As Verstappen made his way back to the pit lane, a fervent Ferrari supporter, sporting full Ferrari attire, expressed their disapproval with a thumbs-down gesture. The observant Championship leader, not one to let it slide, responded by raising his middle finger in response.
After the incident, Walrico and Gino, two dedicated fans, took to social media to post a video where they confessed to being the fans involved. They expressed their sincere apologies to Verstappen and praised him for his incredible response, stating that he had become a true legend in their hearts.
“Hey Max, we wanted to express our sincere apologies for our foolish behavior,” the duo started in their shared video posted on social platforms.
“Apologies, Max. We regret giving you a negative response, and we sincerely apologize for our actions. It was our mistake, not yours, and we acknowledge that. We also want to admit that we found your gesture of showing us the middle finger amusing, which caused us to react with excitement, almost like little girls.”
We express our gratitude, Max. Since then, you have become a legendary figure in our hearts, and we hold a deep affection for you because of it.
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During the post-qualifying press conference, Verstappen recounted his version of events, stating that the negative reaction had transformed into applause when he passed by again, indicating that his gesture had served its purpose.
Verstappen started by saying, “During the qualifying session, there was this hilarious incident when we were driving in the pits.”
There was a large crowd clapping enthusiastically. Suddenly, one individual caught my attention by behaving oddly, prompting me to express my disapproval with a gesture. Surprisingly, when I encountered them again later, they had joined in with the clapping. It seems they have learned their lesson.
Being unkind to drivers may come naturally, but I am also capable of treating you poorly! Thankfully, he held a slightly superior position. Nonetheless, everything turned out fine. I suppose he valued my actions afterward.
Afterward, Verstappen managed to keep Lando Norris at bay and secured victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, marking his third consecutive win at Imola.
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