But the fans adore their native driver, and Perez took a lap around the track in the back of a convertible Volkswagen before the race. He frequently placed his hand on his heart to express his gratitude to the 120,000-plus fans.
“It’s been incredible, honestly,” Perez told the crowd after the race in Spanish. “I want to thank you for all of your help this weekend. You are the best fan base in the world. Thank you very much.”
Earlier this year, the three-day weekend sold out in two minutes, and the three-day attendance of 395,902 broke the previous year’s record of 371,779. F1 also announced ahead of the race that it had extended its contract with the race, which is frequently voted the most popular by fans, until 2025.
Verstappen dominated the day, starting from the pole and winning for the 34th time in his career. He led at the start as Hamilton passed teammate George Russell for second and Perez passed Russell as well.
