Sergio Pérez demonstrated just how good a person he is, after sticking up for Lewis Hamilton during the post-race interviews at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Following what was perhaps the worst race of 2022, given how little on-track action there was, Hamilton was met by an onslaught of boos as he made his way to complete his post-race interview.
The seven-time World Champion finished second at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the second year in a row, as a result of his team making the wrong tyre strategy, added to the fact that the drivers struggled to follow during the 71-lap event.
Pérez who was, of course, in front of his adoring home crowd, demonstrated his support for the Mercedes driver, by waving his finger in the air, demanding to the supporters to stop booing the most decorated F1 driver of all-time.
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Whilst Hamilton was giving his interview, Pérez could be seen in the background pointing his finger in the air, in a bid to show that he felt the boos directed at Hamilton were unnecessary and inappropriate.
Hamilton took the unwelcomed reception with dignity during his interview, where he actually said that the crowd had been “amazing”, but that he’d faced “boos all day”.
“First, this has been an amazing crowd,” Hamilton said at the start of his interview.
“Definitely a bit awkward this time around, boos all day…
“Nonetheless I have so much love for Mexico and for the people here. What a great race and event they put on here.”
Pérez really did demonstrate an awful lot of class by sticking up for Hamilton, proving that he is a pure gentleman.
It’s not the first-time Hamilton has faced boos this season, after also being met with them at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Crowd behaviour is certainly an issue that needs to be looked into going into 2023, with Max Verstappen having also encountered boos this year at the British and United States Grand Prix.
Pérez, on the other hand, was met by an incredible cheer from the crowd, so loud that they were probably heard back at Red Bull’s factory in Milton Keynes.
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The Mexican would’ve likely finished second had it not been for a very slow pit-stop, which occurred as a result of a tyre refusing to come off the car.
The 32-year-old tried to get within DRS range of Hamilton in the latter stages of the race, but it soon became apparent that despite the new cars, the drivers simply couldn’t follow one-another consistently.
His third place, though, does mean he’s now achieved back-to-back podiums at his home race, which as a result has seen him move back ahead of Charles Leclerc in the battle for second in the Drivers’ Championship.