F1 Today | Bodyguards, paddock safety and tensions rise in Mexico

Rarely has there been so much discussion about off-track matters going into a Grand Prix weekend. Right now, Formula 1 so desperately needs a World Championship title fight to get back to what actually matters: racing. In F1 Today, we round up the biggest news stories in the world of Formula 1 over the last 24 hours.

Tensions rise in Mexico

The race organisers, Sergio Perez and others, are doing their best to keep the tensions cool. On the other hand, there are warnings about how the Mexican fans will react to Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen.

Mexican newspaper La Cronica de Hoy reports that thousands of Sergio Perez's followers plan to boo whenever Verstappen enters the picture. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg. According to the newspaper, several online groups report a plan to block the streets through which Verstappen has to pass for events, even at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez itself. Click here to see the full story.

It's unlikely to be a direct reaction to that suggestion, but Marko did confirm Verstappen will be equipped with two bodyguards during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend. Verstappen claimed it is just "part of it" in some countries.

Paddock control

Perez was then critical of his home fans at last year's event. The organisers of the Mexican Grand Prix have taken measures to avoid the security problems of 2022. Back then, the paddock overflowed with fans, who also wormed their way into places where they really shouldn't be. That shouldn't be the case this year, and Perez is also happy that the matter is being addressed.

The 2022 Mexico Grand Prix was investigated by the FIA after the event. There were allegedly far too many people in the paddock, and drivers were quite inconvenienced in the process. Pierre Gasly, for example, said fans banged on his door in the (normally locked) hospitality, and his rucksack had been opened when he walked through the paddock.

It was overcrowded in the paddock last year, which needs to change this year. The organisers have worked with the FIA and Formula 1 to restrict access to the paddock. That way, drivers and all other workers should be able to go back to 'normal' work. Click here to see what other F1 drivers thought about the situation.

Disqualifications

The news about Hamilton and Charles Leclerc's disqualification at last week's United States Grand Prix broke around four hours after the chequered flag. By that point, all of the interviews and reaction was finished. We heard some small lines from Toto Wolff, and Hamilton himself noted it but stressed the importance of progress.

With the Mexican Grand Prix being part of the same triple header, the thought is still recent enough. While Verstappen pointed out that Red Bull ran his car slightly too high, most drivers seemingly suggest that the FIA should at least check the other car from the same team if one has failed.