Red Bull remain unfazed by Mexican Grand Prix reception concerns

This follows recent comments by motorsport advisor Helmut Marko that caused controversy, implying that Sergio Perez's heritage was affecting his focus in Formula 1.

Marko had to issue an apology for his remarks, which alluded to Perez's struggles compared to his triple World Champion teammate, Max Verstappen. The strained relationship between Perez and Verstappen became evident after a team order debacle at last season's Sao Paulo Grand Prix, reportedly stemming from Perez's crash at the Monaco Grand Prix.

At the recent United States Grand Prix in Austin, a partisan crowd greeted Verstappen with boos when he received his winner's trophy. When asked about the potential reception in Mexico, Christian Horner quipped, "I don't think Max is going to get the warmest reception in Mexico. That's water off a duck's back. One year you are the villain, and the next, you are the hero."

Despite concerns about the atmosphere in Mexico City due to Marko's comments about the country and Perez, Horner remained unfazed, stating, "I am not worried about that. The team is fully behind Checo and both of our drivers. We love racing in Mexico, we love the Mexican fans, the passion - that stadium is unique. So we are really looking forward to it."

Perez had been grappling with inconsistency in recent races in Singapore, Japan, and Qatar. However, at the Circuit of the Americas, he delivered a solid performance, finishing fifth on-track. After Lewis Hamilton's disqualification post-race, Perez was promoted to fourth, further solidifying his position in the race for second place in the Drivers' standings.

Horner praised Perez's performance, stating, "He should take a lot of confidence out of that. His race pace was strong, we know he always races well and hard, and hopefully, it is just the injection of confidence he needs going into his home race which I am sure is going to be nuts for him."

The next Formula 1 race is the Mexican Grand Prix, scheduled for the weekend of 27-29 October at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, located in Mexico City. The circuit's smooth tarmac traditionally results in low levels of tire degradation, making track position and tire selection crucial for success due to the limited overtaking opportunities across the 4.304km lap.

 

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