Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has labeled Max Verstappen as a “villain” after the fans at the United States Grand Prix booed the Dutchman when he lifted the trophy on the podium. In stark contrast, the US fans shouted “Checo, Checo” in support of Sergio Perez even though the Mexican did not finish on the podium. After witnessing the contrasting receptions that the two Red Bull drivers received in the US, Horner believes that the boos for Verstappen are likely to be all the more when they visit the Mexico GP later this weekend. However, the Briton stated that the same does not concern him.
Verstappen has always stated that he only cares about winning, and he has done exactly that over the course of this season. The 26-year-old has already won 15 races this season and could break his own record of most wins in a single campaign if he wins the Mexican GP this weekend.
In stark contrast, Perez has won just two races. As a result, the pressure is increasing on the 33-year-old because he finds himself a whopping 226 points behind Verstappen in the championship. Moreover, the Guadalajara-born driver is also at a slight risk of losing second place in the championship, with Lewis Hamilton breathing down his neck.
However, Perez is now going to have a lonely fight to secure second in the championship as Verstappen is reluctant to help him despite sealing the title himself. Since the Dutchman is so focused on just winning himself, Horner believes the three-time world champion is unlikely to receive a warm reception in Mexico.
Horner gives his take on the booing Verstappen witnessed in the US
Max Verstappen had yet another dominating weekend at the United States Grand Prix as he won both the sprint and the main race. However, the win did not come easy during the main race as the Dutchman was nursing a brake issue.
Although the 26-year-old produced such a spectacular performance despite the struggles he was facing, the crowd did not seem too pleased. Following the conclusion of the race, Christian Horner was asked to give his take on the same.
In reply, the Briton told Sky Sports, “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“. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko also had a similar take to Horner when asked about the fans booing Verstappen.
Helmut Marko questions fans’ sportsmanship for booing Max Verstappen
Helmut Marko slammed the section of the fans who were booing Max Verstappen and questioned their sportsmanship. When asked about the same, the 80-year-old said (as quoted by independent.co.uk), “We are in contact with a lot of Mexicans. The majority are very friendly and fair, but there are always some let’s say enthusiastic people who don’t maintain the fair sporting standard. But we have no concerns and are happy to go to Mexico“.
The Austrian himself has been in the news for all the wrong reasons when it comes to Mexicans after he launched a “South American” jibe at Perez. Even though Marko apologized for the same soon after, the remarks did not go down well with most of the people.
