Lewis Hamilton was jeered by a section of fans as he reacted to the Mexican Grand Prix.
The Mercedes star enjoyed strong pace all weekend and looked a strong contender to take the win in Mexico City. But the Silver Arrows took a risk on tyre strategy which did not pay off, and he was powerless to prevent pole-sitter Verstappen from cruising to the win.
Owing to the fact his team-mate is Sergio Perez – the home favourite in Mexico – many of those in the grandstands were wearing Red Bull apparel and so were very pleased to see Verstappen win that battle. And some of them made their allegiance even more clear by booing Hamilton as he stepped up for his post-race interview in the stadium section.
It seems he heard the less-than-welcoming reception from those fans, but Hamilton did not react. Instead, he praised those who had come out to watch the race as he reflected on a race which promised so much but did not deliver the victory he desperately craved.
"This has been an amazing crowd, a bit awkward this time round, boos all day, but nevertheless I have so much love for Mexico and the people here. I was close in that first stint, but the Red Bulls are too fast, and ultimately they had the better strategy. I am not sure it was the right tyre. I thought we should have started on the softs."
A few minutes earlier over team radio, the Brit took a moment to thank the team for giving him such a competitive car for this weekend. "Mega job today. They were just too quick for us. But let's keep pushing. We are getting closer," he told his engineers.
Meanwhile, Verstappen received a much more positive reception as he reacted to a race which saw him break more Formula 1 records. He now has 416 points to his name and has won 14 races in 2022 – no other driver has ever managed more than those totals.
"The start helped me out a lot to stay in the lead," said the Dutchman. "We were on a different strategy but an incredible result. It has been incredible year so far. We are enjoying it and we will try to go for more wins."
Perez completed the podium, much to the delight of those home fans who cheered him on so well all weekend. George Russell will be disappointed to have slipped out of the top three, but he did have the silver lining of securing an extra point for recording the fastest lap of the race.
