Safety in Mexico another problem: when will the organisers solve it?
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There has been much talk about security surrounding the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix. However, this is not the first time these issues have cropped up, as there were also safety concerns in Mexico in 2022.
While the Mexican Grand Prix should be a big party for the locals, in the run-up to the race weekend, the main issue is the security around the event. Max Verstappen has been given two bodyguards with him, according to Helmut Marko, while the GP organisers and Sergio Perez are doing all they can to calm the fans.
Why Mexican fans are angry with Verstappen
It is ultimately a build-up to the entire F1 season in 2023. Sergio Perez wanted to compete for the title with Max Verstappen but was defeated this year. There is a strong feeling in Mexico, partly due to the coverage in that country, that this is because Max Verstappen is favoured by Red Bull Racing.
This feeling was reinforced by the incident between the two in Brazil in 2022 and statements by Helmut Marko. The Austrian may have apologised for his statement about Perez, but saying that Checo would not be as consistent as Verstappen because he is Latin American is still very much blamed on Marko.
The fact that the Mexican public is not a fan of Verstappen became clear several times during Grands Prix this year. The Dutchman was booed several times whenever he appeared on a podium, and during the Dutch national anthem after the US Grand Prix, 'Checo, Checo' was chanted by part of the crowd.
Verstappen's safety in question
It creates a headache for the Grand Prix organisers. In 2022, the Mexican GP also came under a magnifying glass after safety issues came to light. For instance, after the GP, Pierre Gasly reported fans knocking on his door in the hospitality area and also revealed that someone had opened his backpack.
During that Grand Prix, too many people were allowed into the paddock and were clearly not supervised. The FIA investigated after the event, and the organisers, together with the FIA and F1, decided to keep the list of people admitted smaller in 2023, Motorsport.com reported.
The question is whether that will be enough. For example, La Cronica de Hoy, a Mexican newspaper, has revealed that thousands of Perez fans are gathering online to block Verstappen's route. There is reportedly talk online of entering the circuit.
The Mexican Grand Prix still has a place on the F1 calendar until 2025. If it wants to remain on the calendar after that period, it will have to crack down harder on incidents like this. A campaign like #racepect is a nice initiative, but mostly for show. Hopefully, more will be done than just a campaign, and the drivers and all other workers in the paddock can just do their jobs safely.