Max Verstappen won his 50th Grand Prix at the USGP, which brought him closer to breaking both Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel’s Grand Prix victory records soon. After registering 50 GP wins, Verstappen would have expected a big welcome from the crowd, but what transpired during the podium ceremony was quite the opposite. At the podium stage, some fans booed the 3x driver’s championship winner as he lifted his trophy, and the same response is also expected for the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix. Nevertheless, the treatment Verstappen is receiving does not bother Red Bull taskmaster Helmut Marko.
Max Verstappen executed impressive maneuvers despite brake issues to win the Austin Grand Prix. However, the Dutchman was booed since his Mexican teammate, who has been on the receiving end from Red Bull this season, is extremely popular in the United States. Later, when asked if the boos had affected him, Verstappen answered empathically, adding that eventually, it’ll be him who will take the silverware home.
Aside from this, the Dutchman is expected to receive similar hospitality in Mexico, Checo’s home Grand Prix. He once again answered the questions calmly claiming that he’d walk away with the trophy and everything would be fine. These words indeed indicate Verstappen’s maturity, but considering the treatment of his beloved driver, Red Bull’s taskmaster has jumped into the debate.
Helmut Marko enters the scene amid Max Verstappen’s mistreatment
Sergio Perez has recently received harsh criticism from Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko. And it appears like Perez’s fan came to the US GP solely to create hostile scenes against Verstappen to make life tough for the Red Bull family.
Given that similar mistreatment of Verstappen is likely to happen again at the Mexican GP, Red Bull taskmaster Helmut Marko has entered the fray to weigh in. Marko told Sky Deutschland he is unconcerned about Perez’s compatriot’s unstandardized sportsmanship.
Boos for Verstappen and lots of ‘Checo, Checo’ chants as the podium ceremony starts… #F1 #USGP
— Phillip Horton (@PHortonF1) October 22, 2023
The 80-year-old remarked, “We are in contact with many Mexicans. Most of them are friendly and fair, but there are always subjects that are a little too passionate who do not maintain a standard and behavior in the name of sportsmanship. In any case, we are not worried and we are very happy to go racing in Mexico.”
Though Marko may not be concerned about the attitude of the fans, there is an interesting statistic coming up at the Mexican track. Given Max Verstappen’s current form, he has a good chance of winning the Mexican Grand Prix. A win that will set another all-time record and solidify his absolute dominance.
How will Max Verstappen’s triumph in Mexico cement his supremacy?
Since the last two seasons, Max Verstappen has ruled the Formula One track. Last year, he won 15 races, breaking the previous record of 13 held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. This year, he returned to the scene with the same approach. So far, the Dutchman has won 15 of 18 races, and with his highly anticipated victory in Mexico, he could surpass his own record of 15 Grand Prix wins in a single season.
Given that the sport has seen several drivers and teams dominate the track, the fact that no other driver has ruled the F1 tracks like Verstappen demonstrates the utter dominance.
However, on his path to dominance, Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari have proved a little roadblock. All three top teams have shown that their resurgence has helped them close the gap with Red Bull. Although it was only in Austin that Hamilton came so close to Veratppen, aside from that, the Dutchman has remained uncatchable throughout the season with the exception of a few issues.
