Max Verstappen has shared a hilarious response when asked if he learned any Spanish words from former teammate Sergio Perez. The Dutchman said that he could not repeat any of the words he did learn from the Mexican driver as they were all ‘bad words’.
“No, because that you cannot broadcast on TV. It’s very bad words. He was only teaching me really bad words,” Verstappen told TUDN when asked if he could share a message for his fans in Spanish.
Verstappen and Perez were teammates for four seasons from 2021 to 2024 at Red Bull. During this time as teammates, the Austrian team won 58 races, 53 for Verstappen and five for Perez.
In this period, Red Bull claimed two constructors’ titles in 2022 and 2023, while Verstappen won the drivers’ title in all those years. Perez’s best result came in 2023, when he finished runner-up in the championship.
Following a poor 2024 season, Red Bull replaced Perez with Liam Lawson for 2025. But the Kiwi driver only lasted two races and was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda. Meanwhile, Perez spent a year away from F1 and joined newcomer Cadillac in 2026.
Max Verstappen Shares Wholesome Message For Fans in Mexico
After refusing to share a message in Spanish, Verstappen did address his fans in Mexico in English, saying that he is grateful for the support he always receives in Mexico. The Dutchman also added that he loves racing at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
“The support I have here is always incredible. I love being here in Mexico, I love racing here, and to get to see all that support is just fantastic. So, I really hope that everyone here at the track can show their support again this year,” said Verstappen.
Verstappen has claimed five race wins at the Mexican GP previously, which is the track record. The closest on the current grid to his tally is Lewis Hamilton, who sits joint-second on the all-time list with two wins. Hamilton shares that spot with Jim Clark, Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell.
Max Verstappen Received a Grid Penalty at the 2026 Mexican GP
Verstappen received a one-place grid drop at the Mexican GP following an accident with Lawson in the sister Racing Bulls team during the FP2 session on Friday. Both drivers got the same penalty as the FIA stewards deemed the incident ‘unacceptable’.
Verstappen then qualified in P4 for the race, and subsequently dropped down to P5 when the penalty was applied. The Red Bull driver was on pace to take pole during qualifying until he locked up at Turn 12 in the stadium section, ending his chances prematurely.
Before the race, the Dutchman said that he hopes the RB22 has good race pace and that he can fight to move ahead. At the start of the race on Sunday, the four-time world champion jumped into P3 on Turn 1, and overtook Hamilton to take P2 before the first lap ended.
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