The 1997 Formula 1 world champion has criticized the “embarrassing” booing directed at Lando Norris near the end of the 2025 season. Norris, who races for McLaren, was jeered by some fans after winning consecutive races in Mexico City and Brazil. The reasons behind the heckling remain unclear, though some speculate that supporters believed McLaren was favoring Norris over his teammate and title contender Oscar Piastri.
In the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Norris secured third place to claim his first F1 world championship, finishing 13 points ahead of Piastri, who also placed third. When asked about the boos, Villeneuve expressed on the High Performance podcast that the behavior was unnecessary and humiliating. He urged fans to be respectful and not to boo fast drivers, emphasizing that Norris competed fairly and deserved respect. Villeneuve highlighted that while Piastri was performing well mid-season, Norris was the faster driver overall and issues like Norris’s engine failure went unnoticed by fans.
Villeneuve stressed the importance of viewing the season as a whole and accepting when a favorite team struggles. He condemned the notion that favoritism or unfair treatment of drivers was the cause of Norris’s success, calling those beliefs incorrect.
Norris himself took the boos lightly, while Villeneuve noted that modern F1 drivers must develop a “thick skin” due to the intense scrutiny fueled by social media and the sport’s growing popularity. He explained that passionate fans often let emotions cloud their judgment, attributing failures to external factors without basis. Despite this, Villeneuve acknowledged that handling both praise and criticism is part of being a top-level driver.
Fan Take: This news highlights the passionate and sometimes harsh nature of F1 fandom, reminding us that athletes are human and deserve respect for their hard work. It also underscores the need for fans to maintain sportsmanship, which is vital for the integrity and positive growth of racing.
