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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Giles Richards in Spielberg

Hamilton urges fans to avoid repeat of abusive scenes at Austrian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton at the Red Bull Ring in Austria
Lewis Hamilton said F1 was heading in the right direction in terms of becoming more inclusive but still had work to do. Photograph: Kym Illman/Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton has warned there is no room for complacency in dealing with the harassment of fans after plans were put in place to avoid a repeat of the abuse that marred last year’s Austrian Grand Prix. The British driver demanded the sport take a strong stance to ensure F1 is an inclusive, welcoming environment.

Last year’s race was tarnished by accusations of sexist catcalling, inappropriate touching of female fans and homophobic and racist abuse. There were 60,000 Dutch fans in attendance to support Max Verstappen and many of the reports referenced the stands where they were gathered. Verstappen condemned their actions, citing excessive alcohol consumption as a factor, while Hamilton demanded F1 do more to deal with the problem.

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