Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has confirmed that Max Verstappen will have “bodyguards” at the Mexican Grand Prix later this weekend to ensure his safety. The Milton Keynes outfit are taking no chances after the crowd in Austin booed the Dutchman last week.
Moreover, since Verstappen has a tense relationship with Mexican teammate Sergio Perez, he could face a hostile environment in Mexico. As a result, Marko believes it is necessary for Verstappen to have protection even though the three-time champion never asked for it.
While speaking to F1-Insider, Marko said (as quoted by racingnews365.com), “Max doesn’t actually want that and is relaxed. But we have responsibility for him, so we just want to be on the safe side“. The Austrian’s recent remarks come after he explained how some of the crowd at the United States Grand Prix last weekend lacked sportsmanship.
Similarly, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also dramatically explained how Verstappen is unlikely to receive a warm reception in Mexico. “I don’t think Max is going to get the warmest reception in Mexico! But that’s water off a duck’s back. One year you are the villain, the next year you are the hero,” explained the Briton in a conversation with Sky Sports.
Even though Perez and Verstappen have not publicly said anything about each other, there is still polarization among the fans. Most of the polarization has stemmed from the stressed relationship the two have shared in the past.
When did the tensions between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez begin?
The first clear signs of tension between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez began at the Brazilian Grand Prix last season. Red Bull had ordered the Dutchman to let the Mexican through. However, the 26-year-old defied the team orders and said that he already gave his reasons.
Perez was unsurprisingly frustrated as a result. Following the conclusion of the race, he sarcastically said on the team radio (as quoted by motorsport.com), “Thank you for that guys. Thank you“. When the team apologized for what transpired, the Mexican took a savage dig at Verstappen by stating, “It shows who he really is“.
Even though there are no visible signs of a strained relationship between Perez and Verstappen now, former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher yet believes that the two do not see eye to eye. In an interview with Formel1.de, the German said (as quoted by si.com), “It seems that the relationship between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is no longer what it used to be“.
The 48-year-old believes that last year’s Monaco GP resulted in the tensions between the two drivers after Perez “apparently intentionally” caused the red flag. Schumacher believes that Verstappen did not take that incident too well as he lost out on the chance to secure a pole position.
