Verstappen and Perez booed heavily by fans in Austin: "Cheater!"

The entire Formula 1 world is preoccupied with the budget cap saga surrounding Red Bull Racing. The team has been accused of a small overspend in 2021 of less than five per cent. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are also facing intense criticism from American fans in Austin.

During the weekend before the Singapore Grand Prix, the first rumours surfaced about two teams allegedly exceeding the budget cap in 2021. Red Bull and Aston Martin were named as the two teams that would have overspent. The FIA announced after the Japanese Grand Prix that Red Bull had indeed exceeded the budget cap in 2021, while Aston Martin was only found guilty of a procedural violation.

Since then, the amount Red Bull overspent has been hotly debated. Exceeding the budget cap would have given the team an advantage in 2021, as well as this season. Last year, Verstappen managed to win the world title on the very last lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Verstappen and Perez booed by US fans

The fans present at the circuit in Austin for the US Grand Prix are clearly not fans of the Red Bull duo. The two drivers appeared on the podium in the fan zone on Saturday, but were booed heavily by fans there. "Cheater!" the fans shout in a video on Twitter.