How Hamilton and Perez reacted to Mexicans booing Lewis

Lewis Hamilton was once again the target of boos from Formula 1 spectators, this time from the Mexicans at their home GP yesterday – with the British Mercedes driver finishing ahead of compatriot Sergio Perez.

Hamilton has been targeted countless times by the rivals’ fans, often with obscene racial slurs – from Fernando Alonso’s Spanish fans at Barcelona in 2007 to Max Verstappen’s fans at this year’s Dutch GP.

The truth is that Verstappen doesn’t get a warm welcome from Hamilton’s British fans at Silverstone or anywhere else either, and last week he was booed by the Americans in Austin over Red Bull Racing’s 2021 spending cap.

But there are more instances where Lewis has endured this type of treatment. Even now by Perez’s fans who, as Lewis himself put it, “cheered him all day”.

The boos increased at the end at the circuit’s famous Hermanos Rodríguez stadium as Hamilton gave a TV interview – and while he finished just ahead of Perez, he left the Mexican in third place.

Perez recognized this and immediately tried with a gesture – he waved the index finger of his right hand at the crowd – to urge his compatriots in the stands – who were chanting chants – to stop the booing.

Hamilton took it easy, saying: “That was an amazing amount, although no doubt a bit strange this time around. There was cheering all day but I still have so much love for Mexico and the people here – and what a great race they put on these three days here!”

On top of all that, Hamilton then spoke about the strategic tire choices that ultimately didn’t allow him to ever realistically threaten Max Verstappen for victory in the Central American country.

Hamilton (like Russell) started the race on the middle tire and only pitted to put on the hard one. But RBR and Verstappen were a little bolder, starting on the soft then betting on the medium and they were confirmed after both tires held and they won by a walk.

“In my opinion we were very close in the first stint (ss: before the pit stop). But I think Red Bull was clearly very quick today and also had the best tire strategy in the endsaid the seven-time world champion. And he concluded: “I’m not sure about that at all [το δικό μας] it was the right tire. I think we should have started with the soft rubber but apparently we had the opposite tires. In the first stint it was ok but then the hard rubber didn’t work so kudos to Max“.