I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed and was offended by the booing and the nature of comments by some members of the crowd post-race directed at Lewis Hamilton, but I would also like to make it clear to Lewis Hamilton fans and McLaren fans that this is not a true representation of all Italian fans or all Ferrari fans. It is a representation of a small growing minority in the northern part of Italy called the “Lega Nord.”

In short, they are conservative, anti-imigration, racist xenophobes. Not the political party and its policies itself, but rather the sentiment and rhetoric used by some of its political leaders and echoed by many of its followers.

This sort of thing is disgusting and I don’t want it near my Formula One, and I do hope the FIA and Italian Grand Prix organisers recognise this and make an attempt to stop things like this in the future.

The tifosi celebrating victory at Monza, 1996.

Curva Grande, Monza, 2002.

Alain Prost on his way into Tamburello as the tifosi line up as close as they can to the action.

Tifosi at Monza, 1997.

Gerhard Berger leads Michele Alboreto to a Ferrari 1-2 at Monza in 1988. The tifosi would have to wait until 1996 for another Scuderia victory at the legendary Italian circuit, and until 1998 for another 1-2, both victories being scored by Michael Schumacher who would go on to win at Monza another 3 times for Ferrari.