Mexican fans at the US Grand Prix in Texas voiced their support for Sergio Perez by booing Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen after the Dutchman sealed his 50th race win
Max Verstappen was booed after claiming his 50th F1 win in Austin, Texas (Image: Getty Images)
Max Verstappen’s stunning girlfriend was spotted looking bemused as the reigning Formula One world champion was booed on the podium.
The Dutchman cruised to his 15th win in 18 races for the year on Sunday, edging out Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris in Austin, Texas. But Verstappen received a hostile reception while collecting his trophy despite reaching an impressive 50 race victories in F1.
That was due to a vast portion of the fans in attendance being supporters of Verstappen’s Mexican Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez. And his girlfriend Kelly Piquet – daughter of F1 legend Nelson – was left visibly unimpressed.
A video shared on social media shows the moment Verstappen proudly held his trophy aloft in front of the Texan crowd. But the sound of booing and jeering rang around the presentation area, with chants of ‘Checo’ also heard in support of Perez.
The footage then panned to show Piquet recording Verstappen’s milestone on her phone before noticing the booing. Her smile quickly disappeared, being replaced by a look of confusion as she turned to the person next to her.
Kelly Piquet was confused by her boyfriend receiving an earful from Mexican fans in Texas (Image: Sky Sports)
Verstappen was later asked about the booing but insisted that it didn’t bother him. “No, no,” he said. “In the end, I’m the one who takes the silverware home, so all fine by me!”
The soon to be three-time world champion has massively outperformed the struggling Perez this season. The team-mates clashed heads after an incident at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2022, before tensions rose again in Saudi Arabia this year.
Red Bull team-mates Max Verstappen [L] and Sergio Perez [R] have not always seen eye to eye (Image: AP)This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn moreWatch TNT Sports on Amazon Prime hereSign Up to Amazon and TNT to get a free trial
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Red Bull chief Helmut Marko, who has been critical of Perez’s performances in the past, slammed the behaviour of Mexican fans in Austin. He said: “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.”