Hamilton Fan Spends $2200 In Elaborate Skywards Troll Aimed At Verstappen Supporters

If you’ve been following the twists and turns that have led to this weekend at Zandvoort, you’ll already know that fans of Formula One have been given a rollercoaster ride of races. But, with tensions running high at the head of the field, one Lewis Hamilton supporter decided to troll the opposition by hiring a plane to display a message of support at the Dutch Grand Prix.

F1 fan Neil Steele, is reported by The Sun to have charted the plane, which will fly over the Dutch circuit with a banner saying “7 X WDC, Simply Lovely, #TeamLH.”  Steele, who’s from Lancashire, UK, is said to have spent £1600 ($2200) to have the plane up and down the beach, in close proximity to the track.

This year, Formula 1 spectators are enjoying a genuine title battle with Hamilton and Max Verstappen consistently challenging each other on track.

At Verstappen’s home Grand Prix in the Netherlands, the veracity of the “Orange Army” has already been seen in force, with packed grandstands cheering on the home favorite on the Friday — a day for F1 practice which traditionally sees much lower attendance compared to qualifying and race days.

Read: A Dramatic Hungarian Grand Prix Sees Alpine’s Esteban Ocon Secure Maiden F1 Win

The fans have been instrumental in leaving their own mark as well. This year saw the return of spectators to many venues whose grandstands were empty last year. And, as is to be expected, impassioned fans can be quite vocal about their stance on drivers.

While many may consider booing unsportsmanlike, Hamilton was subjected to it during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. The jeers have become a hallmark of Verstappen fans, heightened by the incident at Silverstone, which saw Hamilton win the race after an incident between the two championship contenders sent Verstappen into the wall.

So the banner could prove to be a timely show of support for the British defending champion, although it’s sure to prove unpopular — not least because it doesn’t only reference Hamilton’s seven driver’s world championships. The line, “Simply Lovely,” is a cheeky dig at Verstappen, who commonly uses the phrase in victory.

Here is the plane taking off this morning #TeamLH…going up and down Zandvoort beach now @LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/PEidanDUez

— @thestaveros (@the_staveros) September 3, 2021