Marcelo Rodríguez, at 12 years old, ran as if he wanted to break the 100-meter dash record to get an autograph. The physical effort for this boy dressed in a Red Bull uniform was to catch up with Günther Steiner, head of Haas, one of the worst teams in the current season. Rodríguez’s frenetic routine had a reason: “he is a team leader, it’s Netflix.” Steiner gained unexpected popularity thanks to a documentary series on the platform about Formula 1. Drive to survive, which was born in 2019, catapulted the sport worldwide. Mexico is not the exception.
In 2022, the Mexican Grand Prix earned the black flag due to the behavior of VIP fans, the most exclusive who pay for tickets of more than 100,000 pesos. On that occasion, all the drivers had to endure, with a forced smile, jerks, cell phones in their faces and screams from those fans who were losing their minds over an F1 category memory. The pilots expressed their annoyance and the organizers took note. For this year, they set up two entrances: one that must coincide with the VIP entrance and the other that leads directly to the garages. Somehow, they avoided passing by a line of outstretched arms asking for an autograph on their caps. Some drivers, those with the highest call such as Verstappen, Pérez, Sainz, Leclerc or Alonso, had security guards at their sides. With every movement, there were bodyguards who, as soon as they saw fans, tried to cut them off.
“I have, of course, a little more security here. But there are always some countries in the world where there are a lot of people,” admitted the three-time world champion. “Last year there were a lot of people to go to the hospitality to the garage. This helps make it a little calmer.” The guards set up a barrier to prevent these fans from entering the interview area with the pilots. In the hallway you could see a worker from the tours who went from side to side saying almost sadly: “I’m sorry, this is only for staff and press.” During the qualy, one Kevin Magnussen, from Haas, could be seen walking, accompanied by a burly man who, at any request from a fan, would throw out with an open palm: “No! Currently not”. Hamilton preferred to leave with his helmet on and a skateboard heading to his rooms.
![Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin driver, escorted by security members during the Mexican Grand Prix.](https://imagenes.elpais.com/resizer/zahdB_djQHwetAo4vFHS7lX-lBo=/414x0/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/SUC5BFX4VEMTZS5Y5IMONIXWSY.jpg)
This year’s greater security control coincided with other disastrous episodes for the people of Red Bull. Since the São Paulo GP, Mexican fans showed their annoyance with Verstappen due to a bad practice of companionship with Checo Pérez. The champion and his family received waves of insults and death threats from the dissidents. So, when the Mexicans had the opportunity, they began hostilities with the Dutch, as happened this year in Miami and Austin. At Red Bull there was concern about his reception this year. Organizers in Mexico promoted the campaign racepect so that the fans would return to the principle of sportsmanship: knowing how to lose.
“The chaos among fans is also the beauty of the Mexican Grand Prix. I think that defines us as Latinos, we are chaos in the best sense of the word because we enjoy and that’s how we show our love for sports. We are many Latinos and we live this as if it were our fall, but we do have to respect the pilots a little more,” says Maira Pastor, 23, a young woman who was on the hunt for a signature and found that of the local hero. The main avenues that lead to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez began to get clogged early in the day. The capital’s Tourism Secretariat expected more than 420,000 fans to attend over the weekend.
“Here in VIP you see 1% of Mexico. I had only seen it in videos or on TV. He’s very cool, but I still haven’t assimilated it. It’s chaotic to see fans wanting a photo, although you have to respect it. I don’t see anything wrong with pilots having bodyguards, here people see any pilot and support him. If they see Alonso or Checo they go crazier,” says Alain Zúñiga, 22, who along with four other teammates won a Formula 1 e-sports tournament. One of his prizes was seeing Perez. “We talked for five minutes, we asked him two or three questions. He signed this hat for me and they gave us an autographed cap. Yes, I imagined having a photo with him, but meeting him, ugh, I didn’t imagine it,” he adds.
![Verstappen's car at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.](https://imagenes.elpais.com/resizer/FGNEMyBXFmHyq4rp32rYjEyxZaU=/414x0/filters:focal(1729x1806:1739x1816)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/AWFM4C3F7MWAM67PKSITSKLQHU.jpg)
Disappointment at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
After practice and qualifying, the fans treated the world champion well without insults or boos. The stands, faithful to their tradition, supported all the drivers. His favorite, Pérez, got the best ovations in the Foro Sol area where tens of thousands dressed in something referring to their pilot. The pole Charles Leclerc won it, followed by Carlos Sainz and Verstappen. Checo, however, stagnated in fifth position, an ingredient that punctures the bubble of hope of the Mexicans to see their idol of the moment fight for the lead. The result is read by Mexican fans as something painful after seeing Daniel Ricciardo, from Alpha Tauri, climb to fourth place at the start. The Australian began the year as the third driver at Red Bull, more focused on commercial commitments. In the middle of the season he replaced Nyck de Vries in the B team and now his name is being floated to replace the Mexican after 2024.
“There is a lot to fight. Two tenths would have totally changed our classification,” Pérez commented after the race. Another factor is that at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez overtaking is limited. A carom, or maybe two, and a good start can help the one from Jalisco this Sunday.
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