Max Verstappen will have two bodyguards with him at the Mexico Grand Prix this weekend, Helmut Marko has revealed. The Red Bull star was jeered following his victory at the US Grand Prix and chants of ‘Checo, Checo’ drowned out the Dutch national anthem as the supporters made their feelings clear.
Verstappen has enjoyed plenty of success in America over the years, but Sergio Perez has surprisingly remained a fan’s favourite in Texas. The struggling star is expected to receive further support now returning for his home race in Mexico.
Verstappen’s superiority has prompted conversations about whether Perez is capable of helping the 26-year-old reach his true potential and enjoy a dominant reign in Formula One. Currently, all suggestions point towards Red Bull considering allowing Perez to leave his contract a year early so that they can sign a new top driver to take their second seat.
The tension has prompted further ill-feeling towards Verstappen, leading to Red Bull taking action and ensuring that he remains safe whilst at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Speaking about the decision, Marko told F1 Insider: “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 announcement comes shortly after Rodrigo Sanchez, marketing and public relations director of the Mexican Grand Prix, called for supporters this weekend to be respectful of all competitors and prompted #racepect as a social media campaign.
He told Esto: “Based on what we have seen in several races over the past few years, we have created the #racepect campaign. This is not a message to Mexicans or Mexican fans, but simply a call because we have seen unfortunate statements and attitudes in recent years and during the current championship
