£20m-a-year F1 driver surprisingly ‘booed’ by the crowd at the end of the Mexico City Grand Prix

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The cauldron of atmosphere created in the stadium section of the Mexico City Grand Prix’s final complex of corners is iconic on the Formula 1 calendar.

Drivers have to navigate the slowest part on the 4.3km circuit in front of 26,000 people before heading around the final right-hand corner of the lap and heading down the longest straight on the F1 schedule.

Mexico City Grand Prix fans were all backing one man during last weekend’s race: Sergio Perez.

Perez is fighting for his Formula 1 future at Red Bull and had another race to forget after a Q1 exit and disappointing race.

His teammate Max Verstappen was battling with the two Ferrari drivers and Lando Norris for victory at the beginning of the race.

Carlos Sainz drove perfectly to earn his second win of the season and it looked like Charles Leclerc would secure another one-two.

Norris and Verstappen clashed again, but the Brit came out on top and managed to leapfrog Leclerc before the end of the race after forcing him into a mistake just after the stadium section.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

However, Kym Illman was speaking on his YouTube channel and witnessing the podium ceremony shared by both Ferrari drivers and Norris, the £20m-a-year McLaren star didn’t get the best reception.

Illman believes that Norris was being booed when he collected his trophy and wasn’t aware that he wasn’t the most popular driver with the Mexican fans.

Lando Norris ‘booed’ on the podium of the Mexico City Grand Prix

Describing the scene in the stadium section of the track during the podium ceremony, Illman said: “It’s an amazing and unique parc ferme.

“The cars then rolled into their spots, one, two and three.

“Carlos got out and was well excited about it, he caught up with his mate Lando for a hug and a chat and then it was off to the podium which is in the stadium.

“It’s the only one that we encounter like it, it’s probably 250m away from the nearest garage and pit lane.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

“But what surprised me was when they awarded Lando his trophy, the crowd booed.

“Now, I had no idea that Mexicans didn’t like Lando and did anyone wear a sombrero on the podium like Max did? No.”

Carlos Sainz copied Lando Norris to take Mexican Grand Prix victory

Norris was joined on the podium by Sainz who earned a very different reception from the fans in Mexico City.

As the first Spanish-speaking driver to win the Mexico City Grand Prix, Sainz was incredibly popular and alongside Argentinian Franco Colapinto and hometown hero Perez, was lauded by the fans.

Sainz admitted copying a technique Norris showed him when taking pole position in Mexico and used it to set two times faster than anybody else during qualifying on Saturday.

He and Norris have a fantastic relationship from their time together at McLaren and Norris joined the Spaniard’s friends and family in celebrating his victory after the race.

It was Norris’s first visit to the podium in Mexico and he’ll be hoping he gets a better reception next time he secures a top-three finish.